We Met Lil Bub!

Hello friends!
On Sunday, my friend Cooper and I embarked on something magical.

   Months ago, the Gem City Catfe in downtown Dayton posted that the famous, magical, beautiful Lil Bub was coming our way from Indiana. They were announcing ticket sales and dates at an unknown time, so I turned on notifications on Instagram and waited. Once the tickets were announced, I texted Cooper and he and I both immediately bought VIP tickets to meet her.

   If you don't know who Lil Bub is, she's an adorable feline who suffers with Osteopetrosis, a disorder affecting her bones. She's known for being strong, despite her struggles, and conquering any obstacle that comes her way in life. This little miracle inspires her millions of followers every day, including myself.

Bub and Mike, image via Flickr

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   So when the day came to meet she and her person, Mike, I knew I wanted to document it.

So on November 4th, Cooper and I met up and went to the Catfe

   In fact, the street parking was so busy that we had to park at the Liederkranz-Turner across the street (which is fine because the Story of Lil Bub presentation would later take place there anyway). There's a lot behind the Catfe itself, but it was reserved for the line to meet bub as well as food trucks.

   So while we waited in line to meet Bub, we mingled with other Bub fans and even shopped the available Bub merch tables.

   And finally...it was time. Not that the wait was excruciating or anything (it was actually really lovely weather), but Cooper and I were antsy to see the angel herself.
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   The rules for interacting with Bub were simple--no holding her, apply hand sanitizer, and do not pet her ears. Head-petting was the way to go. So finally, Cooper and I made our way upstairs, and there she was--tiny, sleepy, and precious. Mike held her while in one hand and took selfies of people and Bub with the other. When it was my turn to meet her, I felt super trembly. She was just more precious in person than I could ever imagine. Bub was officially the first celebrity I've met!
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   We got a goodie bag with a cookie and such on our way out. Bub was truly a dream and Mike was so kind to everyone.
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   In the couple hours between the meet-and-greet  and the presentation, Cooper and I visited the food trucks. At the first truck, I got myself some wings and Coop got himself a fried sandwich. And let me tell you, they were absolutely delicious.
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   After eating, I bought myself a cool shirt to celebrate the beauty. Cooper made a bad joke about the Beatles as he snapped the photo so I look very upset.
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   We then visited the next truck, a vegan/gluten-free treat truck, and got some dessert while we awaited the presentation. We ended up snacking on the treats in my car while Cooper stuck some stickers onto his hat to be festive for hearing Mike speak.

   For the actual Story of Bub presentation, I didn't want to bother people with the shutter and flash of my camera, so I ended up leaving it in the car. But Mike was wonderful and engaging the whole time, and Bub was a sleepy angel. He told us about her struggles, her prevails, and about the importance of treating all animals like they are special needs animals. At the end of the presentation, he did a Q&A where Bub "answered" questions that we asked in the mic. Luckily Angie was also there and filmed me "asking Bub" what she thought about Dayton (although it was actually Mike typing answers on the fly into the computer while acting like he was taking a call). Mike, I mean, "Bub", started out by complimenting my shirt (which was the one with her face on it) and I went ahead and asked Bub how she felt about Dayton. This was the response:
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   Overall it was such a fun and interactive experience. Huge shoutout to Mike, Bub, the Liederkranz-Turner, and the Gem City Catfe for organizing such an incredible event. It was so worth it and I feel so happy that I could have such a wonderful experience. If you're wanting to adopt a cat and you live in the Dayton area, please check out the catfe and give them some support. Also check out Lil Bub's website to find out more about this magical creature.
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Thank you all for reading!

Keep on grinning!

​Lydia