Laundry Baskets, Target, and a Bloggy Encounter!

I can’t tell you how nervous I was!  Palms sweaty, I clutched my laundry basket and myriad of other items as I approached my Target checkout lane.  This…….was…….it!  I was about to introduce myself to my first blogging friend!!!!!!!!!!!!

Over the past year and a half I’ve had a wonderful time blogging and commenting on people’s blogs and then hearing back from them.  It is great feeling when you post and someone comments on it.  There is a subtle connection you feel with someone when you read and comment.  I realize that has a certain sentiment attached to it considering we never really get to meet these wonderful people who share a common creative outlet.  But when happens when you have the chance to meet a blogger fellow blogger?!

I have always indulged in the grandeur of the possibility of being recognized for my blog.  Granted nobody would really know me considering I don’t post pictures of myself on it, but I still fantasize about it.  “What you read my blog, and you want my autograph…of course!” or “You want to produce a book and movie and the basis is from my blog…..why yes you can!” again delusions of grandeur LOL.  But I have a practical side as well….I live in Erie PA….beyond visiting Presque Isle it isn’t the tourist attraction compared to California, New  York, DC etc…so I came to terms with the notion that I wouldn’t be recognized and I more than likely would recognize other bloggers.  Plus I didn’t actually start my blog for these reasons….I really just needed a place to talk about the things I like!

So when I began receiving comments from a young lady who was a blogger and was moving to Erie I began to revisit the idea of meeting a fellow blogger!  I began to entertain all sorts of questions.  Should I do this (I believe many of you will agree with me we enjoy a certain amount of anonymity when blogging)?  Will she be as cool as her blog?  Will she be nice or take one look at me and go “oohhh so you’re Sammy” and seem disappointed.  I was starting to freak myself out to some extent.  So we continued to comment and as she posted I learned she had started working at Target!  Well I continued to dabble with the idea that I would stop in and see her but I was still hesitant.  Then it happened…I destroyed…utterly destroyed my laundry basket.  No it wasn’t a stunning feat of manliness….it was an overfilled laundry basket that I accidently dropped :/….now I had a reason to go to Target….it was time to act.

So I meander into Target trying my best to look cool and sophisticated (may I remind you I was buying a laundry basket LOL) and I gaze over the cashiers….you see I hadn’t informed her that I would be stopping it! Gulp!  I look down the line and realize she was there!!!!!!  I am excited and overwhelmed all at the same time!  Now I had to plan how to do this meet and greet….I couldn’t just walk up to her and be like  “hey we don’t know each other but we read each other’s blogs…when do you get your break?”  to creepy it seemed.  I continued to meander about Target filling my laundry basket with a few other items.  I had decided I would go to her line, make sure it was pretty empty so I wouldn’t embarrass her or myself and just do a pleasant introduction and go from there……and then I got nervous.

Sweaty palms, mind swirling, heart beating I approached the line…it was pretty empty, score, and the manager guy kept telling me different lanes were open etc. and I kept declining…I couldn’t leave the line I had come so far.   There she was a fellow blogger!  Someone whom I had never met before but communicated with over our electronic media!  She was cute as a button and was polite to her customers as she checked them out.  She began to check out my items, I stood in front of her, suddenly the lane seemed to fill up….my nervous got the best of me and instead of politely saying, “hello  my name is Sammy it’s a pleasure to meet you, “ I blurt out, “How’s Edinboro,” (I won the award for creepy hello’s on that one!).  She looked at me for a moment and smiled and said it’s good…..um how do you know I go there….and I then let her know I wrote for Presque Isle Files.  I think the whole thing took several seconds for it to register…I think we were both shocked and stunned!  She looked at me and she said it was great to meet you; she then rounded her register and gave me a great big hug (way better than any autographJ)!!!!!  I was relieved…then she asked me how I was going to pay for my items HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  We exchanged words briefly because now the people in line were gawking a bit and in the excitement of the moment….I left without actually paying.  I didn’t type in my code….so in actuality I almost stole my laundry basket LOL.  She called to me and I came back paid we said good bye and parted ways.

I am lucky to say I have met such a petite, super cute, awesome blogger from Pushed To Earth.  She’s one hell of a cashier too! I urge you all to check out her out via my blogroll!  I wish we had time to talk more at that moment but unfortunately the wheels of capitalism were working against us….she had to get back to work

*Personal note to Shweta it was lovely to have met you, you are adorable, and I believe we will have to meet for coffee in the near future!!!!! I hope I didn’t scare you to badly just showing up at your place of employment….and sorry for almost not paying LOL*