Will I ever outgrow sticking my foot in my mouth? The answer is No.
Last week, I attended an investment party in Hot Springs for a new restaurant on Central Avenue. Just to name-drop a little: Coach Sam Pittman was there, as was the owner behind the project, actress Joey Lauren Adams. She’s purchased the small, historic (though currently run-down) Hotel Algoma, along with the adjacent parking lot and building, and is looking for partners to help bring her vision to life.
The restaurant will be called Lyle’s, named after her late father, and she’s aiming for an upscale, sexy vibe. I haven’t seen the full menu yet, but her chef, Mr. Zak Walters from Oklahoma City, was there that night. He’s been featured in Garden & Gun and recognized by the James Beard Foundation. My favorite item served that night (besides the Old Fashions made with a special sugar) was the sliced radishes with pimento cheese topping.
Yes, I Did This
It was getting late in the evening when my husband tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Come meet Coach Sam Pittman. I just told him what a huge fan you are.”
Excited, I jumped up and turned to face the coach. As I shook his hand, I gushed with enthusiasm, then mentioned that my son, Jack, is a professor at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.
Coach Pittman looked puzzled and said something like, “And why do I care?”
I replied, “Well, isn’t that where you went after leaving Arkansas?”
BAM. Drop the mic. Foot in mouth. Silence.
In my excitement (and from being a little enumerated), I had confused Coach Pittman with our former coach, Bret Bielema.
Sooo embarrassed, I was jolted into sobriety; I apologized profusely, and to Pittman’s credit, he smiled and said, “Don’t worry. I don’t know who you are, either.”
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