Chet Baker's Booksigning

This is a post about my booksigning. Well, it was actually Mether's booksigning. But my job was to work the people.  We went to Sugden Book Store. Which is a very nice independent bookstore on Front Street in Marietta, Ohio. I got a little nervous because Dr. Lutz's office is nearby. But we drove right past there and wound up downtown! I only wear a collar when I am downtown. 

First, I watched for a person to walk into Sugden Book Store.

I stood on the book table so I could see better. Besides, that way I could show the people all the books.

Mether said I got little black hairs all over the tablecloth. But why would I stay on the floor? I had to be front and center.  I had a job to do.

 I must have been very good at my work because Angela guv me a cookie she had made that was shaped like a bluebird. Mether said No, not the whole cookie!! but it was too late. I got the whole cookie.

Which was too much for me as Mether had pointed out. So I jumped down and circled the bookstore several times with the cookie in my mouth  and finally took it to the far corner to bury it. I heard people commenting that there was no dirt. Well, that is not a problem. What you do, is you hide it.

And once you have hidden it, you scrape imaginary dirt over it with your nose. Many, many times. 

I do not know why this makes Mether laugh but she always does. It may be the oinking.

There. I have buried the cookie. No one would look under a broom.

I pretended not to care whether someone bought a book or not. But I did. 

I put my paws on their hands and stood up. Everyone seemed to like that. You have to get yourself up to their level so they do not have to stoop down.

Yes, of course I am a nice boy. That is my job. That, and selling books.

It took awhile between people coming in. I kept my eyes fixed on the door. I figured out quickly that not everyone who walks by comes in. 

Miss Angela had some dogs in the back of the store. The first thing I did was run up to them. I gave them a quick sniff and kept running past so no one would guess that I thought they were real for a little while. 

When the traffic slowed down I went back there again. I tried biting one of them on the ear.

He tipped over giving me a chance to smell under his belly. No. Not real at all.  No pee pee smell at all. So you cannot tell a thing about a dog like that, you cannot tell what he eats or even whether he is a boy or a girl. Fake.

I tried just a little shake.  Mether said CHET BAKER THOSE ARE FOR SALE THEY ARE NOT YOURS.

Which did not slow me down. But I was doing my soft bite, not my rippy bite. I just kind of mouth it when it is an article of clothing or a towel or a new fake dog I am not supposed to rip up. Mmmmf. Shake it up.

Roger came in and he loved on me. He also bought a book. As you can see I am in prime bookselling position here. Nobody told me to sit there. It just seemed like the thing to do.

Then it got quiet again.

I kept my eyes fixed on the door and the people outside. 

I got kind of bored. Miss Angela fetched me a paper plate she was going to throw like a Frisbee for me to catch and retrieve.

She does not know me very well. That plate had one flight in it. 

Mether explained about my fondness for pasteboard. It must be smithereened. 

People who came in and out of the door all asked if I would run out into the street. Well of course I would never do that. Mether was inside and she had told me I needed to stick around. Besides, I was working.

All in all Mether said it was an excellent dry run for when my book comes out. You know, the Chet Baker book. Mether is writing it right now. So I expect we will do this again.

She needs to hurry because I really want to do more signings. Even if I have to use an inkpad. Mether says she is going to get an inkpad made of my pawdyprint so I do not have to walk around printing the carpet with my inkedy paws. I am not too wild about pawtographing. The first two or three are not bad but when she lines up 20 or 30 it gets old fast. 

I will wear my best smile

and hope that all the people stop walking, turn and come in to the bookstore, wherever we go.