Update from BlogHer 2007

Yup, I MADE IT TO CHICAGO! (yea!)

On a wing and a prayer, I got on that 6 am flight Friday morning. From there, everything just tick-tocked right along. Flying on standby has its benefits. For instance, my bag was the third one out of the plane. I was whizzing through morning rush hour on my way to BlogHer before the first conference eggs were scrambled. I even arrived at Navy Pier with enough time to grab a latte before the first session. Armed with a name badge and my business cards, I was ready to rub elbows with bloggest of the them all. My anticipation was met with a mixed emotions.

True to this year's theme, I very much encountered a "world of difference" along the way-- from insiders to outsiders, crafty gals and technophiles, and lots and lots of mommas. I was looking forward to meeting some of the ladies who I've been "blog idolizing". Although, once I found them, what was I to say?

I mean, how stalkerish would it be to say:

oh, HI!!! I so KNOW you. Gosh-golly, I LOVE your work. It's so funny that your son is teething. Guess what? MY son is teething, too. Man, that kitchen remodel. Wow! That looked just awful to endure, but THANKS for POSTING PHOTOS of it on you blog. Let's grab some cappuccinos and sing KUM-BA-YA together. Let's be BEST BLOGGING BUDDIES. You link to my blog and I'll link to yours...

Gaaaahhhh!

Not that I... ahem! umm, actually said that to anyone this weekend... hmm...

For me, one of the MOST exciting parts of the conference was meeting... er, encountering Amy Sedaris. I say "encounter" because I sat front and center to hear her speak on a panel, but didn't actually talk to her. While I may feel privy to her personal life from both her and her brother's work, I don't really know her, and it seems rather ridiculous to act as if I do.

For starters, how should I get her attention?

"Hey Amy" (Too familiar)

"Umm, Miss Sedaris" (Too formal and presumptuous)

"OMG, It's AMY SEDARIS" (Stalker!)

Rather than clamor for her to notice me, I opted to just sit back and be entertained. In fact, I spent most of my weekend just watching and listening. Like I said, I had much to learn...

Which is not to say I didn't meet anyone interesting. In fact, I met a lot of someones who are very interesting. I faced questions like "what do I stand for?" and "what is my voice?". I put faces to names (and in some cases names to blogs) and learned a few new tricks. Best of all, I discovered several new blog obsessions I probably never would have if not for BlogHer.

There were some drawbacks to the conference, too... as in I expected a little more "conference" and a lot less cattiness. I came to get some specific tips on improving myself as a blogger, not argue whether or not to monetize one's blog or debate the merits of calling oneself a "writer" versus a "blogger". Although the lab session I attended was excellent, I didn't get as much out of other sessions as I would hoped for the $205 + airfare and hotel stay.

Let's just say that we all came to "represent". Some just came to push an agenda too. Judging from comments flung, they came seeking validation for their "my way or the highway" view on blogging. (Anyone that differed in opinion was obviously an affront to the community.) Listening to THAT for two days was very tiresome.

My head is spinning from all that it has absorbed this weekend. Overall, I'm happy I attended. I just hope next year focuses more on building ourselves up, rather than tearing others down.

The Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week

What would be the crowning achievement to what has been a horrible, horrible week?

....umm, realizing you booked your flight to Chicago for the WRONG DATE on the way to the airport!

...and then, being told it would be another $700 to fly out tonight... or I can fly standby first thing tomorrow morning. Since I blog for fun, not profit, I'll be at the airport at 4 am to get on a 6 am flight.

I have freaked out, cried, and kicked myself repeatedly because I have no one else to blame for this but ME. My husband and son have been so sweet in comforting me, but I was still so mad at myself that I had to call a friend to vent about it.

"Oh, it's just 'mommy brain'. You'll be fine once this is all cleared up," she said before she laughed at me. "My goodness, this could have happened to anyone," she continued once she regained composure. But it didn't. It happened to me!

I know it's not the end of the world. I do HAVE a flight to Chicago and worst case scenario, I'll just miss the first day of BlogHer (gasp!). Let's just say, I'm looking forward to it and wishing I was there more than ever now...

So what made this such a "horrible, no good, very bad" WEEK?

For starters, it began with a cold. A miserable, achy, stuffy full-bodied cold... in JULY. Personally, I think colds have no business happening in summer. They're for warm blankets and hot soup season.

Fortunately, the steady stream of DayQuil (non-drowsy, my ass), hot tea in the middle of a Texas summer, and actually "napping when the baby naps" has somewhat restored me.

One would think I'd at least have a deep, sultry Kathleen Turner voice to show for all my trouble.

Nope. I wake up sounding like Beaker.

My son is also teething again and seems to be up to molar a week. While I don't have any of my own recollections of what it was like to cut teeth, I can only imagine how painful it must be. As his mommy, I am very sympathetic. Of course, I would have prefered that my son let me know about his great pain at home rather than at the lovely baby shower we attended this morning.

He was just fine before we left, but his mood quickly changed once we arrived. He rammed push toys into the furniture, screamed at the other kids, cried if anyone other than me held/sat next to/talked to him, and I got to be that mom who "can't control her kid". We left right after our gift was opened.

So, you see, I was REALLY looking forward to a few days off... which made me hate myself even more for screwing up my flight!!!

Well, see you tomorrow... I hope.

All You Need to Know

Me too! Me too! I wanna join in the fun... you know, since everybody is doing it and all. Created by Mocha Momma, this is actually puuur-fect since about 10 seconds of thinking is all I can truly muster today.

If you're participating in the Cool Mom Picks Great BlogHer Photo Scavenger Hunt:

• My (real) first name is Grace. Are you Grace, too? (15 points)
• I wear a size 7 shoe (15 points)
• I am willing to be your blog idol (5 points)

This is a short, but sweet blogme2007 introduction. For information, click here.

I'm Going!

Today, I purchased a plane ticket and registered for BlogHer '07! (Yea!!!)

When I first approached my blogging-partner-in-crime with the idea of attending the conference together, I was only half serious and only half expecting her to go for it. Well, so much for that...

A week later, her sweet connections secured us an awesome hotel rate for the weekend (thank you! thank you!) and we were exchanging flight itineraries by e-mail. Next thing I knew, I was divulging my credit card info and clicking "purchase"!

I'm actually really excited about attending, but once my friend gave me an estimate on our total costs including travel and incidentals... HOLY MOLY! I felt a HUGE sinking feeling of guilt/doubt over spending the money. I mean, there's soooooo much other stuff that money could be going towards... like, ummm... replacing that chintzy tv tray that's been masquerading as a night stand in my bedroom or, hmm, I don't know, my son's college fund...

Also, since I quit my job, I've been reluctant to to blow lots of money on myself... For my son, anything. On the house, of course. Gifts for my husband, in heartbeat. For me, not so much.

Why? Because as a stay-at-home mom, I still feel guilty about not contributing to our family financially. I know. I know. I contribute in other "far nobler" ways by taking care of our son, making sure we have friends, and running our household, thereby eliminating the cost of childcare, rent-a-friend, and maid service (because you better believe my house would be a total sty if I had to work too...)

My husband, on the other hand, does not have one iota of resentment about being the family's "bread winner". It helps that he generally enjoys what he does, but he also finds that he works better knowing the everything at home is taken care of. He always reminds me that what I'm doing IS far more benefical in a ways that money just can't buy and I DO deserve to take some time and resources for myself and my hobbies (I know, he's a saint!), but still... It's been a leap for me to think of it as "our money".

But as he put it, "What the point of making money if we can't enjoy it?" and " It IS our money."

So here I GO!