Ok I know what some of you are thinking…. What Dog? And even more might be saying, ya so??? Well let me back track alittle and tell you the WHOLE story…..
Dog the Bounty Hunter is a show, and a man on A&E, the show chronicles the life of this notorious Bounty Hunter and his team as well as some touching personal family moments. It’s a great show, and in my opinion he’s a great guy doing a very tough job. There’s a reason that I like and respect the guy, hes been through a lot, he hasn’t always made the right choices, but he has persevered and managed to become somewhat of a posterboy for turning negatives into positives. Last I checked, I had far more of the former than the latter, so when he talks, I listen, and tips I can use would be so helpful, plus he wrote a book, which you all know is a dream of mine, he really gives me hope.
SSSSOOOO…. When his book came out I bought it, I wanted to soak it all up and see what I could apply to my own life, not to mention that its quite entertaining and a great read. I finished the whole thing in two days, a feat in itself as I haven’t been able to do that since fibro hit but also it left me with a renewed sense of hope. If Dog could do all this why couldn’t I? etc etc. My daughter is also a big fan of the show, she likes how he tries to HELP the people he captures, not just ok, got that one, now on to the next. I allow her to watch the show because I think Dog and his wife Beth as well as the rest of the team are great examples of compassion, which is an important trait I try to instill in both my children. She loves Beth the most, she really admires and looks up to her, so when I heard that Dog was going to be in our state at a book signing, I decided that even though it was three hours away from us I was going to try to get her there, even though those drives KILL ME for days after, IF Beth was going to be there.
I located an email address for questions and I asked if Beth would be at the signing. I was promptly answered that she would be there. So I shot another email, asking if we brought some Dog merchandise with us would she sign it for my daughter, explaining how big a fan she was etc, to which I received another prompt response, not only would they do that, but if I told someone to tell them that I had arrived, we would be brought to the front of the line and get to take a picture with her! My daughter was thrilled at the opportunity to meet Beth, she begged me and pleaded, so of course I said yes.
Well then came the complications. Apparently I read the dates wrong, and they were having the signing the day of my daughters first day of school. I agonized over this, but honestly, its not like we are going to go to Hawaii any time soon, when else would we have this type of opportunity. I emailed the poor soul again, a few times actually, trying to get everything straight in my head, which you KNOW how difficult that is with fibro! But I managed to get everything squared away, and even though it was a three hour drive each way, I figured we could manage it, pick them up by three, there by six, an hour there hopefully if we got brought to the front of the line, then three hours back, that put us home by ten, so I said ok. Then we go to orientation for school and find out they have EXTENDED the school day this year and she is no longer out by three. Well I had to make a decision. The book signing started at six, so we HAD to leave by three, because even though we were told we would be brought up to the front, I felt like we should be there when it started so it would be fair. So I made the decision to pull her and her brother out of school a few minutes early, as I said, it was a once in a life time chance that would mean so much to her, and it was only the first day of school so I didn’t think I would be interrupting any “learning” time.
So the day arrives. I pick the kids up early and they are just psyched, but daughter had a headache, so we had to make one stop to get ibuprophen so she wouldn’t be miserable the whole trip. The stop took a bit longer than expected, but that’s ok, we are still ahead of schedule by a few minutes. Then we need to stop and get food. My mil, who is going with us, says theres this great little place on the way, its not a fast food place but she assures me they are quick, so we stop. Well they weren’t so quick…. That stop took 20 minutes when I had only planned on stopping MAYBE five for a drive thru. I figure I can make it up on the interstate.
We got there after only ONE wrong turn, which was great considering I had never been there before, and we got there at about 5:45, so I still was on schedule. We see mass chaos. No parking ANYWHERE!!!!! At a Wal-Mart!!!!! I ended up parking on the grass in a side lot next to a dumpster. There were already cars parked there so I figured it was fine, though later I had a note on my car full of obscenities saying we blocked someone in, which I don’t understand how, because the car in front of me had all the room in the world to get out going the other way, plus there were about eight cars parked there ALREADY, but I digress….and we made the trek in, noting that there was a radio station broadcasting live and tons of people, plus a line going around the building outside. The email I received said “When you get there. Ask someone official to let [name omitted] know that Jo and her daughter have arrived and we will bring you up”, so we went in the front door and went to where someone was selling his books, told her the message and asked where to go. She sent us to the back, so off we went, we found an employee along the way and both kids had to go to the restroom so we asked where one was, and he told us where to go, it was on our way, so we stopped there first. When we tried to go in the security stopped us saying those were locked because of Dogs appearance, and sent us back to the front where we had just came from. So we went back, let my son go, then went back to the back of the store to where the first girl had said to go. We then explained to that guy the situation, and he sent us back up front. Now the attitude of these people, let me explain, basically we were asking who could help us, and they were saying ‘I don’t care I can’t help you and I can’t be bothered getting on my little walkie talkie and finding someone who can so go away and try someone else.’ As my mother in law and I are both disabled, this was difficult for us, and all we were asking was, who do we talk to, who can help us?
We were pissed by the time we got to the front again, and we asked to talk to a manager. Thankfully that guy was GREAT. He had dealt personally with the person who sent me the email, so he brought us to the back (again!!!!) and had us take a seat while he found the main manager. Meanwhile as we were sitting there, we were talked about by the employees who had all congregated in the back so they could meet Dog before the customers, and they were talking rudely about us RIGHT IN FRONT OF US, saying why are they here to each other. Wouldn’t it be common decency to ask US as we were sitting right there???? Finally one of them brought a security person over and he asked why we were there. We told them who had brought us back, who we were told to wait for, and the email story as well. He questioned me repeatedly, trying to gauge my story until I offered to show him my emails. Then satisfied I was being honest he let us be. The main guy we were told to wait for arrived, and he told us the email guy hadn’t arrived yet, neither had Dog, and he would be sure to tell him when he got there that we were there and waiting. He was nice like the other guy who had brought us to him. So we waited, meanwhile the other employees continued to pile into the backroom to meet Dog first, and continued to talk about us.
We waited about 35 minutes, finally we heard an eruption of applause from the back and figured he was there. The man who sent the email came out but was talking to the manager. He walked by us and I heard him saying “who were all those people back there?” and the response “employees” then “why were they all standing back there like that”, the answer I missed because they were walking fast, but I got the impression he wasn’t pleased with the arrangement. I have no confirmation of this, but the impression I got from the tone of the conversation was that arrangements had been made clear by the Dog camp and they were not followed and people were displeased. When he walked back by us my mother in law tried to speak to him, but he said he was busy (which he was) and kept walking. I didn’t expect him to drop everything, however my mil was insulted and I was still unsure if he had been told we were there, if it mattered, etc. I understood his curtness, given the mess the store was in, it was a mad house, so I was content to wait a bit longer.
Next thing we know, the door flies open and out comes Dog and Beth flanked by security. It was cool to see, I could hear Beth saying “No no, you need to be 4 or 5 steps ahead”. They walked too fast for me to get a picture, and soon, the line waiting for autographs started moving. They were followed by a lot of pissed off employees, I guess they said it would take the whole two hours he was scheduled to be there just to sign and pose with them, which I agreed with, it didn’t seem fair. My kids were whiny from the wait, my mil were sore from sitting there on the bench, and she started telling me the guy lied, we aren’t getting to meet him etc. Well I kept saying have faith, it will happen, its busy who knows if he even knows we are here and so on. My mil starts saying forget it, lets get out of here, the guy lied, lets face it, theres no way we are going to get to meet him……… I have to say I was having my doubts, but I said you know what, I drove THREE HOURS to get here, I am NOT leaving until I know for sure that the guy has been told we are waiting and they tell me he can’t meet us. I brought up the email on my cell to prove my story, I showed the layaway clerk, and she said she would go to the front desk and talk to her manager for us. I also showed the head security guy standing back with us but he was incredibly rude and said “yeah I see it, but what do you want me to do about it” I was just about to tell him how sick I was of his rudeness, when all of a sudden the guy who promised to tell the guy who emailed me that I was there showed up, with a big body guard and signaled to us.
All of a sudden we were whisked (FAST) past the entire line and deposited in front of Dog himself before I even had a chance to get my camera out. So no picture, BUT, myself, my son, my daughter and my mil got our autographs, my daughter gave Dog a note which he said he’d keep forever, Beth told my daughter she looked like a friend of hers, I shook hands with Dog and Beth and thanked them both soooo much for all they do and for meeting us, and it was over. It was maybe two minutes total, that we drove SIX HOURS for, but the way my daughter looked at me, I was her hero for once for making her dream come true, it was all worth it. Its all she talked about the whole way home.
For any of you who are wondering what Dog and Beth are like in person I can tell you, they are very humble, real and approachable just like they appear to be on tv. Dog looked nervous and tired (from the look at his schedule on his site I can assume he was VERY tired) yet he still smiled at us, patted my son on his head, and shook all our hands. Beth was very sweet to us, and I will never forget or regret my trip. I am EXHAUSTED, and very sore, and I am sure I will be for a few days yet as trips like that take a lot out of me, but it was worth it and if I had it to do over again I would, with the exception that I would have my camera out and ready! I can’t thank Dog, Beth and the person who made it all possible enough for making me a hero in my daughters eyes in a time when it seems like all I do is disappoint her because of the many things I CAN’T do for her because of my illness.
