So, Oakland A's FanFest Day turned out to be one of the worst days of Emmett's new year.
But then it got better.
I really should've researched this whole friggin' thing with MG beforehand.
See, it starts at 10am, but they start selling tickets to get autographs at 9am. And people start lining up at 7:30. So when we got there at 9:45? Hunormous line. But Emmett is still pretty chipper. We're hanging out in line, and he's Super Incredibly Excited to meet (Hall of Famer) Dennis Eckersley and get his autograph. He's bouncing on his feet with excitement.
Can you see where this is going?
Guy with a bullhorn comes down the line: "Tickets for the Dennis Eckersley autograph signing have been sold out."
His face fell. His shoulders fell. Huge tears are trickling down his face. It was a most abject scene.
I sent Emmett and EM into the Coliseum to distract him with bobbleheads and Mt. Dew while JZ and I wait in line (for hours, in the very cold, very rainy weather) to get tickets to the remaining autograph sessions.
We get periodic updates via cell phone from EM. "He's still pretty bummed."
After two hours we're up to the front of the line, right in front of the access road. Most of the autograph sessions have sold out. We're hoping to get the last two ones. And guess who comes pulling up in a golf cart, being driven by security? Literally three feet away so that I can make eye contact and say, "Hey Dennis!"
But did I have the presence of mind to run over with a pen and a baseball and accost him while the golf cart was stopped? No.
It was just God rubbing a little salt in the wound. We finally make it up to the window and they only have one session left with Dan Haren and Dan Johnson left. Emmett likes both of them so we get our tickets. Emmett had wanted to do at least three different autograph sessions but now we're settling for one.
But we call them in the Coliseum and track them down. Emmett's now in a good mood. His Mom has bought him about $100 of vintage A's memorabilia and when she mentioned the tragic tale of woe in the gift shop, a guy whipped out his card, told her he was the photographer for the event, and would get a signed photo of Eckersley later in the day and sell it to her. Plus Emmett was very happy to have the one autograph session.
So the day was salvaged and Emmett was happy in the end. But for about two hours this morning it looked like...get up early on an off-weekend for me, drive across to the East Bay, stand in a cold rain for two hours to make my son cry piteously with huge disappointment. Not your ideal weekend.