Walking the Red Carpet in KC

So, last night I got an opportunity to rub elbows with the rich & famous here in Kansas City.

Okay, the paradox in that above sentence made me laugh..."rich & famous" and "Kansas City" really don't normally go together in the same sentence, but last night, we did indeed have a very famous guest right here in Cowtown...and I, personally, got to shake the man's hand and chat with him....

The visitor? None other than Bob Schieffer...the guy who worked with CBS News for over 40 years, and has served as the moderator at Face the Nation since 1991. I mean, this guy has won seven Emmys - SEVEN! That's seven more than I've won, so count me as impressed.




Bob was here to speak at the 11th Annual Genevieve Byrne Speaker Series, an annual fundraiser for the American Red Cross of Greater Kansas City.

I purchased the tickets awhile back, which allowed Hubs and I to not only hear him speak, but take part in a cocktail party beforehand.

Of course, it was an agonizing decision on what to wear - "business casual" - as I wanted to appear oh-so-sophisticated and oh-so-chic, while trying to not overdo it and not overthink it - and so I decided to go with this little ensemble:


I apologize for the horrible picture - I don't have the "take a picture of yourself while looking in a mirror" mastered yet. Ahem.

I topped off this little grey/black masterpiece with my bright, candy-apple red Beijo bag...as every follower of "What Not to Wear" knows, you MUST have a pop of color when wearing neutrals....




So, Hubs and I arrived at the cocktail party, along with only a small crowd of 500 other honored guests, and as we nibbled and noshed on some delicious appetizers and drank the obligatory wine and made polite small-talk with the other benefactors, I kept one eye out for Bob.

And there he was. About 10 feet away from me.

I grabbed Hubs and we walked over to shake Bob's hand...and I would have taken a photo, but I quickly realized that no one else was taking photos, and I really didn't want to seem like a celebrity-obsessed stalker with gauche manners - although that really does describe me to a "T" - and so I didn't take a photo of this momentous occasion.

Where is that darn paparazzi when you need them??!!?

You'll just have to take my word for it that I shook Bob's hand and made small-talk for a minute or two, about how much we appreciated him coming to Kansas City to speak, and did he like my dress and shoes and red purse that I picked out specifically for him? (okay, that last part is not true - I'm not THAT gauche!), and then it was time to move on so I didn't come across as a celebrity-obsessed stalker. Which I totally am.

We eventually made our way over to the stage area, to grab our seats to hear him speak...



...and he was good.

He can certainly tell a good story (duh...he's a journalist!), and he spoke of his career over the years, and how politics has changed, and it was all very, very funny, informative, and enlightening.

His favorite politician? Lyndon Johnson - because both Bob and Lyndon were from Texas....

His favorite guest on Face the Nation? Sam Nunn, Chairman of the Senate Services Committee. When asked why Mr. Nunn was his favorite guest, Bob replied, "Because Sam is smart enough to realize when he doesn't have anything important to say... and he shuts up. Which is more than what most of our guests do."

His least favorite guest? Janet Reno. Because "she would always preface every sentence with, 'As I've said before...'" and according to Bob, she'd never say anything after that...she never answered the questions....

He told stories of Walter Cronkite and Barbara Walters and Bill Clinton and FOX news and Jon Stewart - and it was great.

And I enjoyed it.

And I looked good. That outfit was smokin'. The bag was poppin'.

And next time, I don't care HOW gauche it is, I am SO taking a photo of me and the celebrity.

Watch out, George Clooney.

Peace.