'Eeeyyyyyy

[mikehoncho]

Any room for one more? My home board is April 2012, but since we migrated south I've been lurking and would just like to say Hi!


I have a 9 month old, a boston, and a house that we bought about two years ago (that we are currently trying to sell!).  

I should just say though, I'm a die hard YHL fan so I take personal offense to any bashing. 

[lolaburns]

::: running in::: I lurk around here too, MH!


Sent from the bottom of a Clorox bottle.

[emjacobs]

Hi and you might not want to ever open a YHL post on here. There will be at least partial bashing.

[mikehoncho]

Jan 30, 2013 23:15:17 GMT -5 lolaburns said:

::: running in::: I lurk around here too, MH!


Sent from the bottom of a Clorox bottle.

AHHHH no way!! I should have figured, what with you being my better half and all.

[mikehoncho]

Jan 30, 2013 23:16:10 GMT -5 emjacobs said:

Hi and you might not want to ever open a YHL post on here. There will be at least partial bashing.

I was totally kidding. I was a fan of YHL then I went to a book signing and my world imploded. It was awful, probably one of my worst experiences in Chicago EVER. And I love Chicago, so that is saying a lot.

[emjacobs]

Oh, well then you will enjoy it here.

[mrs.jacinthe]

Welcome! We're a friendly bunch.

[demandypants]

I have two Bostons (8 and 9 years old) they are such great pups! Welcome!

[sailorgray]

Jan 30, 2013 23:23:25 GMT -5 mikehoncho said:

Jan 30, 2013 23:16:10 GMT -5 emjacobs said:

Hi and you might not want to ever open a YHL post on here. There will be at least partial bashing.

I was totally kidding. I was a fan of YHL then I went to a book signing and my world imploded. It was awful, probably one of my worst experiences in Chicago EVER. And I love Chicago, so that is saying a lot.

Um, we are going to need some details.

[ssmjlm]

Jan 31, 2013 7:59:32 GMT -5 sailorgray said:

Jan 30, 2013 23:23:25 GMT -5 mikehoncho said:

I was totally kidding. I was a fan of YHL then I went to a book signing and my world imploded. It was awful, probably one of my worst experiences in Chicago EVER. And I love Chicago, so that is saying a lot.

Um, we are going to need some details.

Welcome!!  And yes, spill!!!  We need deets!

[thewop]

Welcome!

[mikehoncho]

Okay, I guess I should add a disclaimer that I ::assumed:: that a book signing = hearing YHL talk a bit about stuff then sign books. NOPE. We got there early because my husband always forgets Chicago time is an hour behind us and the line was out the door. We thought, "Eh, it's so early I don't want to wait in line let's go walk around a bit" so we went to a few other shops and looked around then came back and the line had started wrapping around the building. Again, I'm assuming that this line is just..I dunno, a formality? and that they would eventually let us into the store where YHL would talk and whatever. NO. The line was for the signing. We waited in line for 2 hours? Which makes me roll my eyes now because whythefrick didn't we just leave? About an hour in, someone came out and gave us sticky notes and asked us to write down what we wanted them to sign in our books. As in, when we got up to them they wouldn't even have the time/or bother to ask us our names to write down. Apparently they needed that before hand to make the interaction as quick as possible ^o)

The "fans" in line with us were batty, at best. This one woman kept talking about them like they were BFF's it was so strange. "I wonder if they brought Clara..I wonder where Burger is..I bet Clara is loving her school she goes to now...did you guys see that post?? Do you think Sherri would like these earrings? I wore them just for her!" It was so creepy, IMO. Did I mention most people brought gifts? Yeah... they did.

Anyway, we get up to the front (finally) and this photographer is there and he's all, "Do you want to give me your phone so I can get a picture???" I looked at my husband with panic eyes and he said, "No, no I don't think so.." the photographer wouldn't take no for an answer and grabbed my phone and said, "Oh come on!!! It will be so funN!!!" We said hi to John & Sherri, they said hi, we took the picture, they said OK NEXT. It was just so gross, the whole thing was such an epic waste of time not to mention quite possibly the most impersonal experience ever. It was seriously like they could not be bothered to even talk to us. I guess, looking back now, what did I think we would talk about anyway? And I get that there were a million people there so they didn't have all day, it was just strange. I will say that we went to dinner and came back to West Elm to actually shop thinking there wouldn't be so many people and there was still a line and John and Sherri were still there signing. It was like 7pm, so I give them props for that.

[sailorgray]

Jan 31, 2013 13:46:03 GMT -5 mikehoncho said:

The "fans" in line with us were batty, at best. This one woman kept talking about them like they were BFF's it was so strange. "I wonder if they brought Clara..I wonder where Burger is..I bet Clara is loving her school she goes to now...did you guys see that post?? Do you think Sherri would like these earrings? I wore them just for her!" It was so creepy, IMO. Did I mention most people brought gifts? Yeah... they did.

Yea, this is weird. I guess when you open your life up like they do, this is what happens, but I wouldn't expect this. I venture to their blog every now and then and have read their posts on the book tour and it always seems like they spend so much time with each guest. I didn't realize they drew in such a crowd.  Yay for them, but if I got there and saw that going on, I would most def leave and do something else.  In my mind, they are just your typical couple with a blog. I wonder if they ever had anyone come to their door.

[ssmjlm]

That sounds similar to when DH got us tickets to see Paula Deen. It was a madhouse at the place and people were BSC fan types. Then Paula herself was pretty bland and refused to sign any autographs.

The worst part was I'm pretty sure the tickets weren't cheap (we were only dating).

[mikehoncho]

Jan 31, 2013 17:04:39 GMT -5 sailorgray said:

Jan 31, 2013 13:46:03 GMT -5 mikehoncho said:

The "fans" in line with us were batty, at best. This one woman kept talking about them like they were BFF's it was so strange. "I wonder if they brought Clara..I wonder where Burger is..I bet Clara is loving her school she goes to now...did you guys see that post?? Do you think Sherri would like these earrings? I wore them just for her!" It was so creepy, IMO. Did I mention most people brought gifts? Yeah... they did.

Yea, this is weird. I guess when you open your life up like they do, this is what happens, but I wouldn't expect this. I venture to their blog every now and then and have read their posts on the book tour and it always seems like they spend so much time with each guest. I didn't realize they drew in such a crowd.  Yay for them, but if I got there and saw that going on, I would most def leave and do something else.  In my mind, they are just your typical couple with a blog. I wonder if they ever had anyone come to their door.

I'm kind of assuming they do different things with each venue? Maybe because this one was such a huge turn out? I'm really not sure. I have seen on their blog that they do some speaking at some of the signings so I'm not sure why they wouldn't for the Chicago one. 

I guess I just didn't think they were so popular that they would have fans like that. I just thought it would be a more laid back thing.

And yeah, if someone I didn't know was talking about my kid like that I would be ultra-creeped out. But I don't even have a facebook or anything for similar reasons.

[mikehoncho]

Jan 31, 2013 18:54:23 GMT -5 ssmjlm said:

That sounds similar to when DH got us tickets to see Paula Deen. It was a madhouse at the place and people were BSC fan types. Then Paula herself was pretty bland and refused to sign any autographs.

The worst part was I'm pretty sure the tickets weren't cheap (we were only dating).

I had a friend's dad who worked for Kitchen Aid meet Paula and Rachel Ray when we were in high school. He said they were both kind of bitchy (Rachel especially). He said Rachel showed up like 45 minutes late and didn't even address it. 

[TBM]

Jan 31, 2013 19:47:45 GMT -5 mikehoncho said:

Jan 31, 2013 18:54:23 GMT -5 ssmjlm said:

That sounds similar to when DH got us tickets to see Paula Deen. It was a madhouse at the place and people were BSC fan types. Then Paula herself was pretty bland and refused to sign any autographs.

The worst part was I'm pretty sure the tickets weren't cheap (we were only dating).

I had a friend's dad who worked for Kitchen Aid meet Paula and Rachel Ray when we were in high school. He said they were both kind of bitchy (Rachel especially). He said Rachel showed up like 45 minutes late and didn't even address it. 

I haven't heard anything good about either of them, except that Rachael Ray is pretty, but I have heard a lot of negative things about them.

I think book tours can can be a crap shoot...sometimes the people chat a bit and are friendly, and sometimes they are all business.  I've seen both.  It is a real turn off when the people don't at least act like they are pleased to be there.

[munkii]

mikehoncho, You need to pretend that waste of time never happened and trade it in for David Sedaris. He's fabulous. I saw him in Philly about 10 years ago and he was all, "Oh, munkii, your name is magnificent. Munkii, munkii, munkii...it's like I'm on shrooms. Have you ever had mushrooms? Here, I'm going to stamp your book with some shrooms." He was awesome.

[sailorgray]

Jan 31, 2013 19:47:45 GMT -5 mikehoncho said:

Jan 31, 2013 18:54:23 GMT -5 ssmjlm said:

That sounds similar to when DH got us tickets to see Paula Deen. It was a madhouse at the place and people were BSC fan types. Then Paula herself was pretty bland and refused to sign any autographs.

The worst part was I'm pretty sure the tickets weren't cheap (we were only dating).

I had a friend's dad who worked for Kitchen Aid meet Paula and Rachel Ray when we were in high school. He said they were both kind of bitchy (Rachel especially). He said Rachel showed up like 45 minutes late and didn't even address it. 

My H used to work for the production company that did Rachel Ray's shows ($40 a Day and such). While he never met her, a lot of people who did said she was a major bitch. This was a small company, so the people that worked with her knew her pretty well. Some even went to Italy (?) for her wedding, so they weren't like some random people on set.

[mikehoncho]

Jan 31, 2013 21:18:48 GMT -5 munkii said:

mikehoncho, You need to pretend that waste of time never happened and trade it in for David Sedaris. He's fabulous. I saw him in Philly about 10 years ago and he was all, "Oh, munkii, your name is magnificent. Munkii, munkii, munkii...it's like I'm on shrooms. Have you ever had mushrooms? Here, I'm going to stamp your book with some shrooms." He was awesome.

This sounds incredible.

[mikehoncho]

sailorgray Yeah..speaking of $40/day--she seriously stiffs those waiters. "I had a bagel, orange juice, and a fruit medley. Total? 6.79 with a .21 cent tip my breakfast was only $7!"


TBM Giada DeLaurentis >>>> RR

[beanieweanie]

Jan 30, 2013 23:23:25 GMT -5 mikehoncho said:

Jan 30, 2013 23:16:10 GMT -5 emjacobs said:

Hi and you might not want to ever open a YHL post on here. There will be at least partial bashing.

I was totally kidding. I was a fan of YHL then I went to a book signing and my world imploded. It was awful, probably one of my worst experiences in Chicago EVER. And I love Chicago, so that is saying a lot.

I went to the same one with 3 yr old DS - we did the same as you - kept checking back on and off for four hours to see when the line would go down...it didn't. I wanted to get a book signed for my BFF's birthday though, so I sent them a message on their instagram asking how long they were staying and they replied, and waited and let us in right at the end even though it was way later than they were supposed to leave to catch their plane. So props to them for that. 
But ditto on the crazies - DS had a toy giraffe and the girl ahead of me was all, "Oh, you brought a gift for Clara!" then looked personally offended when I was explained that no, I do not buy gifts for children I have never met (although obv I didn't put it quite like that).