 Awarding of the Red Purse |
Penned by Ed Aldrich, himself (this is the epitome of "Ed-Speak")...• Joint session, April and I (me first, then her, then me back up for joint Q&A)… TONS of folks in the seats, BIG crowd)
• Backstage (BIIIIG ballroom and stage), 2 of us all alone waiting to be announced to start session (I’m up 1st)
• April says “who’ll watch my purse when *I* go up?? No one back here!?” I said I would, no prob
• I go up; finish; introduce April
• She comes on stage (1st female presenter like forever in fact!!), dressed like a million bux, with a huge patent red leather purse under her arm
• I get ready to leave stage; before I get away, she says “Oh, Ed?? Will you watch my purse please??? And hands me the purse… laughter
• I take the purse, look a tad silly at the crowd, and leave stage
• Thinking ALL the time backstage on “how to pay back????”
• She finishes, and calls me back up for Q&A (she’s like all serious now after 40 minutes of presentation and related stress)
• So *I* come out from behind curtain, bag over my shoulder, and walk up behind her, walking OH SO GAY with purse (she has back to me while still facing crowd),
• Crowd erupts in laughter, totally unexpected by April (now she’s wondering “what the heck is THAT all about???”
• She turns around and sees me waltzing up behind her w/purse, slipped it off, and hand it back to her
• She goes like OMG! Head in hands…
• We then finish up Q&A…
NEXT YEAR! For me, whole thing is totally forgotten, minimal vendor funding for party, decision made long ago, no Forum awards… we’re in Venetian I believe in “V” bar… mingling and having a good time, when next thing *I* know, there’s April standing up on a raised platform/railing around lounge area with a mike and paper bag… She makes a pitch about “we’re low profile this year, no awards like usual, etc etc, but we have one individual who really deserves “special recognition… Ed??? Will you join me please???” I go to myself “Uh oh…. This can’t be good!” Up I go and there it is… “Mini-me red patent leather purse “in commeration of (something or other…April could tell you better than I… I was too busy trying not to fall off the railing!!