Who, Me?

I mean, sure, l have a vivid, humiliating memory of begging people to vote for my blog for the Austin Chronicle‘s Best of Austin award.  But I spend half my life whining and begging for things and usually everybody ignores me or crosses the street when they see me coming.  Besides, I never thought that anybody but my husband would vote for me and, as busy as he is, well, who knew?

So I’m all atwitter to announce that the Fabulous Geezersisters’ blog got the Best of Austin Local Blogger award.  I got a postcard about it and thought there must be some mistake.  But my husband and I showed up at the party and I grabbed the certificate and refused to give it back.  By the time we left the party, I’d managed to spill a couple of globules of chile con queso on the certificate, so it must be mine.  I mean, it’s now filthy and food-encrusted, so it looks like everything else I own.

Even more astonishing, I tied for the award with the incomparable and divine Eileen Smith, who writes the hilarious In the Pink Texas.  Unlike me, Eileen leads a very glamorous life, going to political conventions and mingling with stars and getting her photo taken with luminaries, many of whom don’t later accuse her of stalking them.  She had assured me she was going to get the best-looking or hottest blogger award and we were both shocked when she ended up sharing an award with me.

How did this happen?  Hell if I know.  But I’m thrilled, humbled, grateful, all the cliches, and would like to publicly thank my hairdresser, Giacomo, and my manicurist, Debbie, and my husband, who’s learned to take my threats seriously after all these years.

I also now know that begging is a very effective bargaining tool, so don’t expect me to quit it.

(Copyright 2008 by Ruth Pennebaker)