I can’t remember how I first stumbled across Greek Tragedy, a blog written by Stephanie Klein. But I check in on it frequently – she’s about my age, a fellow Mom of young twins, and a talented writer. And last week I read that she was coming to a Miami bookstore on a promotional tour and asked for a local volunteer who could “fondle chocolate and guests.”

Spend an evening surrounded by books and chocolate?  .... a hardship, but I’ll make the sacrifice.

So Stephanie’s husband, Phil, had chocolate overnighted to me. What kind of chocolate would you have FedExed to a book signing? I read the return address and looked up the web site.

Oh yeah, that kind of chocolate. (It’s a whole post unto itself - next week!)

I just stuck the entire FedEx box straight into the fridge – if I had opened it, there might not have been any left for the guests.

I headed off to Books and Books in Coral Gables that night armed with said chocolate, a cutting board, and two knives. Stephanie arrived and everyone schmoozed a while – oohing and ahhing over the chocolate - then she read excerpts from her latest book: Moose – A Memoir of Fat Camp. The story begins when her OB/GYN told her she needed to gain 50 pounds during her pregnancy for the health of her babies... bringing back issues/memories of being an obese child.

It was a fun evening – Stephanie is funny, authentic, and inspiring. And gracious – she thanked me several times for helping. When she started signing books at the end, I found her Mom and explained that I was leaving and needed to take the cutting board/knives with me and asked her if I could have the kitchen wrap up the small bit of remaining chocolate for Stephanie to take. “Oh no, why don’t you just take it?” she said.

See, people? See what I must suffer for the sake of a MIRL?!

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Jonathan and I attended our first Miami Film Festival 2008 movie last night:  “Flawless” starring Michael Caine and Demi Moore.  It was shown downtown at the spectacularly eclectic Gusman Theatre.

Since it was the North American premiere, we were hoping Michael Caine might make an appearance (as Viggo Mortensen did last year when we saw “Alatriste”).  And while I was outside by the red carpet it was reported Marisa Tomei and Kate Hudson were en route.  But I was standing by the press photographers and privy to the information that at the last minute both parties changed their minds and were heading straight to the after-party.

So it ended up being Demi Moore and Michael Radford, both of whom spoke onstage for a few minutes before the film began.

   

Toward the end Demi Moore started talking about the plot line of the movie, nearly giving part of it away before the audience stopped her:

 
Untitled from SeaBird on Vimeo.