I finally made myself read the last five chapters of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I am still sniffling. But I'm not telling anything about the plot. Except it is both funny and grim, and full of magic, like all of J.K. Rowling's work. Otherwise, no spoilers from me.
I want Book 7! No, maybe I don't. I need to reread this one a few times -- to let it "sink in."
Generally speaking, I am normally a shy, retiring person who would just as soon hole up in my room reading, drawing, and/or computer-ing. If I'm outside the house, it's generally to hang out with animals somewhere, or because it's necessary. After all, the groceries won't get here without help. And for some reason, I don't get a paycheck if I don't go to work. Go figure.
Yet I went to the Grand Opening of the CafePress-Louisville facility the day after Independence Day (July 4), unaccompanied, knowing people there only by association through the computer. We had emailed and sent message board messages, but we had never met in person or even spoken on the phone. What would they be like? Would I be what they were expecting? I doubted it.
I had worked at Kentucky Downs on the Fourth. We closed much later than I thought we would, but the tips were good. When I arrived home, Mom was anxious for me to get on the road. Even though I'd been excited about the trip, I found myself lagging, faltering a bit ... It would be so nice to just stay home. Medium is on tonight.... But I finally grabbed all my stuff, including my trusty AAA Trip Tik, and got on Interstate-65.
I spent the night at a motel near the fairgrounds area. After a good night's sleep, I began my search for the Grand Opening site.
I found the road names and numbers on my map. I made a mental note of the way to return to Churchill Downs, since I hoped to visit it as well. There are so many places I would like to see in Louisville, but first things first. I found Cane Run Road and turned left, heading south, only a short distance from the twisting banks of the Ohio River, Indiana on the other side. I found the Riverport area. Lots of shipping and distribution areas for various companies. I looked for a big CafePress.com sign with the shooting star on it. I traveled the entire length of the road (probably almost a mile), then looped back around to try again.
There was a driveway leading to a large building on my right. No permanent sign, but a banner with the address. Hmmm. I turned in at the driveway. The doorway's trim was CafePress green -- this had to be the place.
Inside, I met Tony and a couple of other CP employees. When I introduced myself, I was surprised by the response.
"You're Lorilei? You're famous!"
Okay, I'm not really famous, but it was good to hear, anyway. It seemed like everyone recognized my name.
I had a tour of the facility before the Grand Opening ceremony. There were speeches by local dignitaries as well as Fred, Maheesh, and Angela from CP. Fred's little boy helped him cut the ribbon.
