There are a few more I want to bost but Blogger is being bitchy again. I will try again later. Right now I have to go mow the dandelions from my dead grass because there is a block party tonight that we can’t go to. I don’t want anyone tsk-ing.
* It is hard to remember who blogs anonymously or who doesn’t post pictures so I am keeping these women mysterious…
I arrived early to yesterday’s closing keynote so I could get a good seat. Arianna Huffington just walked right in like a normal person.
(Let us pause in our story to describe her outfit. White jeans, hip brown top, strappy sandals, and also, TALL, gorgeous, and glamorous.)
She seemed to be looking for someone to tell her what to do. A fan went up to her, megawat grinning her adoration. As I watched, I noticed that Arianna Huffington’s tag was sticking out of her shirt.
I walked up just as the fan was walking away, my cheeks cramping from my own star-struck, megawatt grin and I said, “Arianna Huffington, your tag is sticking out of your shirt, may I tuck it in?” And she said, in that exotic accent and lovely, ESL sing-song, “Oh, of course, darling! Thank you!”
I am QUITE pleased with myself.
* No offense, of course, to the lovely and talented Bird York. (What?! She might google herself!)
Hellooooo!
LOVING. THIS. CONFERENCE.
Yesterday afernoon I took a nap before the cocktail party and when I woke up, I was feeling kind of foggy. I called Whinger and organized meeting up today and then ventured into the cocktail party. I don’t know if it was the nap or what, but I was feeling kind of lonely for the first time. I circled the perimeter with my plate of hors de’ouvres, awkwardly searching for a familiar face. I needn’t have worried, of course. I ended up partying until 1am with 4 awesome women who are now wonderful new friends*!
Even though there have been technical difficulties and organizational snafus, this conference is just so cool. There have been small moments that illustrate the beauty and power of a big group of women. This morning, the sound wasn’t working on a slide show and someone started the ‘bah… bah… bah…’ of All You Need is Love’, and soon all 700 of us were singing it. A technical difficulty turned into a spontaneous, lovely moment. Women are so cool!
Whinger and She Walks have arrived and they are both so fun! I can’t believe I am getting to meet them IRL. She Walks was the first blog I ever read, linked on the Best of Craigslist. She started this whole thing for me!
I am looking forward to today’s events. I was going to go to a session called ‘Get Deeply Geeky’ because I felt like I should since I am entering the tech industry. But I couldn’t keep up with some of the tech stuff in sessions not specifically designated as geeky yesterday, so I think I am going to a mommyblogging thing instead. Those ladies are fun. After that I am going to a session led by dooce on blog entrepreneurship. I don’t think I will ever go that route, but I have such a crush on her I would listen to her talk about anything.
Tonight’s keynote speaker is Arianna Fucking Huffington. OH. MY. GOD. So excited!
I’ll be back with more later. Thanks for reading!
* Kelly, Becky, Erika, and Karen. Links to be added later.
Hi! I’m still here! It is still really fun!
I know that ‘blog celebrities’ are actually normal people, but I must admit to being a little star struck by some. Heather from dooce was just as lovely and nice and genuine and HOT as she is on her blog. Mir was exactly as nice as I wanted her to be. I have spotted others as well, but it has to be just the right time to go up and talk to a complete stranger, you know?
I just made a naughty* friend, too! There is a noteable lack of naughtiness in California. Of course, I expected this, but it is indeed noteable when no one is being naughty outside of baggage claim, even. No one! So weird.
You would NOT BELIEVE the shwag at this place! I guess we are a good maket to tap, but I think I am going to need another suitcase to bring home the totebags, lotions, leather, gadgets, and various other free bits I am aquiring. There is even a fleet of flashy cars to test drive! I test drove the Saturn Vue at lunch, which is their new hybrid small SUV type thing. It was so fun! We are actally considering buying a hybrid of some sort, so it was very useful, but I am looking forward to trying one of the smooth convertibles next. It is a lovely day for a convertible!
I have been to four sessions so far, and three of them were very informative and entertaining. The other one may as well have been given by Charlie Brown’s teacher. I suppose I should have asked questions, but I got the feeling most of the people there were fluent in wah WAH wah WAH wah.
There are two more sessions and then a cocktail party. I’ll check in again later!
* smoking is very bad for you.
I am here! I am sitting at a table with cool women I just met! It starts any minute!!!
I wrote this post while waiting at the airport last night. Forgive the time warp. I will have more updates later on today.
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Well, I am checked in for my flight. I am feeling slightly less awesome than I otherwise might because my flight is delayed for 3 hours. Apparently there is some Weather in Chicago. I didn’t bring nearly enough entertainment and of course I checked my power cord. Oh well.
I am feeling very sad however, because my dear friend T is going to have her baby this weekend and I am going to miss it. I wanted to be there so badly. She doesn’t need me, though. She is going to be such a rockstar. I suppose I could be wrong, but I doubt it. Bloody show + diarrhea = baby very soon. I don’t think she will still be pregnant when I get home on Sunday. I am SO selfishly upset!
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My baby sister, the fuzz.
My little sister graduated from the Police Academy today. I wish that I could write in any kind of organized fashion about my feelings surrounding this, but I don’t think I can.
Today was the first time I have seen her in her uniform. It was just so weird. My sister’s head and baby face atop this Kevlar clad, multi weapon-ed, COP. I didn’t realize how unsettling it was all day until afterwards at dinner when she had changed her clothes.
It started with this militaristic marching business that was a little hard for me to take. I was having a hard time reconciling my liberal’s healthy disdain for law enforcement with the special day and the fact that fucking A, my sister is a badass.
God. It was just such an emotional day. I was swinging from pride, to eye rolling, to FEAR. I am so afraid something bad will happen to her. There were two especially difficult moments. I was standing next to my mom during this bell ringing ceremony. Officer Sister had just gotten some physical fitness award. All of a sudden it all just seemed like too much and I couldn’t stop myself from asking. ‘How long do you think she will do this?’ My mom said, ‘I don’t know, why?’ and I could barely choke out, ‘Because I am really worried about her,’ before my mom and I were blubbering all over ourselves.
The other brutal moment was when my Dad and I were sitting alone, waiting for something to start, watching the cops pass by. My dad said, ‘they all walk like they have a stick up their butts’. We theorized it probably had to do with the Kevlar and all that gear. Then I confessed my secret disloyal thoughts, and my Dad, a man of very few words said, “In my opinion, this is a very sad day.” I managed to hold in the tears, and mumbled, ‘me too’.
One of her instructors gave a small talk for the families about how to deal with the changes that will result from this job, the possible paranoia, jadedness, and preference to always hang out with other cops. While some of this information was difficult to hear, I enjoyed his speech. He made a few jokes and made it seem a little more human.
After that, we watched a video of the stuff they did in the Academy and it blew my freaking mind. Firstly, it must be noted that Officer Sister has never been a talker. Getting any details out of her is like pulling teeth. The video showed all kinds of crazy shit, and my mom and I just kept gaping at each other in shock. There she was, getting sprayed in the face with mace, lying on the ground shooting a gun, practicing getting attacked by a big fucking scary dog, diving to the bottom of a 20 foot pool to pull someone out of a submerged car. You would think if say, you spent the day doing any of those fucked up things, you might mention it! How was your day, Officer Sister? Fine, she would say.
I guess I knew she was doing stuff like that, but to see it on screen was just so shocking. Like I said, it was an emotional day.
All of this being said, I am trying to get over myself. This is her thing, it is what she wants to do, and I should really just be proud of her. There is no point focusing on the negative aspects of her job. I should instead just think about what a badass she is. It must be hard for her to see the fear in our eyes and know that her family is not entirely supportive.
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Anyway, it has been a really long day. The festivities started at 7:30 this morning, so I have been up since 5:15. Then there was all that turmoil, then saying goodbye to SB, and now the flight delay. I am trying to get back the giddiness I was feeling in my last post. I am sure my next post will contain my usual overuse of caps and exclamation points, don’t worry.
Today is a big day. My little sister is graduating, and then afterwards I am jetting off to San Jose for that sheblogging shindig.
SO. EXCITED.
I have travelled more than the average bear, but I still feel so grown up and important when I get to take an airplane. I will check in at the counter like it’s no big whoop. Then I’ll get a coffee and find a seat at my gate. I will flip open a magazine with deliberate nonchalance and take distracted sips of my latte, but inside I will be going, “YIPPEEEE! I AM ON AN ADVENTURE! I’VE GOT A NEW OUTFIT ON! AND A NEATLY PACKED CARRYON! WEEEEE!”
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I’m trying not to have any expectations. I am going alone, and have only lose plans* to meet Whinger. I’m not too worried about it, though. Talking to strangers is fun!
In a perfect world, I would get to meet or atleast gaze upon these fantastic women:
I wonder what everyone will be like? OOoooooooh!
SO. EXCITED.
* I wish these were less loose, but I don’t want to freak her out. Whinger, if you’re reading this, YOU ARE MY ONLY FRIEND. But I promise I am not crazy. heh heh.
It is 3:15. One hour and 45 minutes until a very epic weekend begins. Oh, how the minutes tick painfully by. It is a beautiful, blue sky friday and I am the only sucka here. Which of course means, I’ve done the bare minimum of work today and I am about to be super naughty and climb out the window onto the roof for a smokey treat. HA!
I did something very fun and blog worthy this AM but I want to be able to post appropriate pictures and I haven’t downloaded them yet. Stay Tuned.
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So, you may have noticed the fun little button I have added over there regarding the BlogHer conference. I am, first of all, very proud that I loaded that sucker on here, as I was just guessing about where I should add the code to my template. You are very impressed, no?
But, yes! I am going! I am so freaking excited. I am going to get to meet and hang out with Whinger and SheWalks in the flesh. IRL! Dooce is a speaker so I will get to see her lovliness with my own eyes.
Though I am new to this blogging thing, I am so hooked. I know it’s not everyone’s bag*, but some of you get it. I can’t wait to learn more about writing and also about techie type stuff. Also, when ‘Cocktails by the Pool’ is part of a conference’s agenda, you know it is going to be a good time.
*I have had to endure a bit of good natured teasing about going to a blogger conference, which sounds like the height of geekiness if you don’t get it. Whatever.
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The hair growing process continues. I know that my before and after pictures dont look that different, and the after even looks shorter. I swear she only took the tee-tiniest bit off the ends, though, and it is just a little flat due to the excessive product applied at the salon. I realize that getting haircuts is not the best way to grow your hair, but I MUST have good hair and the messy grow out phase is not for me. We have previously discussed my shamefull vanity.
Before:
After:
I am having more fun already. If you would like to check your own hair, you should be able to do so in the shine on my forehead.
I'm Jenny. I'm in my 30's, I live in Tacoma, Wa, and I've been married to SB since we were children. We added baby Clark to the family in December of 08. This blog really has no point, it's just about me trying to live as zestily as possible while sharing observations and rants with you all. Speaking of which, you should start a blog. Blogging kicks ass.
Email me at zestyenterprise at gmail dot com
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