Letter B

Play It, Baby

This is an investigation into the origin of sound.

UPDATED: For some reason the Flickr video is showing up broken in some feed readers. If you want to view it just click here.

Alana Went To BlogHer And All I Got Was This Stupid Post

Hey! I'm a blogger! Blogging about bloggers who met up to talk about blogging! Feel free to skip the bulk of this post and just click on the links in the list at the end if you are done with the wrap-ups. If you read the entire post I thank you for your indulgence.

The conference this year was very intense. I don't think I expected that going in. I was so happy to be able to go at all that I didn't really dwell on the logistics. (Thank you, dear founders, for again holding the conference in a place where we have immediate family.) And I was so excited to have friends from last year to see again that I felt very few pre-conference jitters. But what I didn't anticipate was how difficult it was going to be both my mom-self and my blogger/writer-self at the same time in the same place. (Which I'll be the first to admit is kiiiind of ironic for a mommyblogger.) And I had it easy. Willa, while still nursing, is not a newborn and Matthew was able to whisk her away for most of the day to see relatives in the city and then stayed with her at night so I could go out. It also wasn't all bad. Going up to the room or down to the lobby and having my sweet little baby there was wonderful, as was getting to introduce her to my friends from inside the computer. But I did break down a couple times because I kept having to be mommy when I wanted to be blogger and vice versa. And I did couldn't even turn to alcohol for help. Nursing, co-"sleeping" and waking up at the crack of crack with a baby just doesn't allow for participating in rock star behavior. (I might deserve a medal for this because I went to not one but two parties with OPEN BARS. @#%$!. I did however get to sample a lot of different flavored water. Why flavor water? What's wrong with water flavor?) So there were some tearful breakdowns. There was insecure angst and guilt about being there at all. There were milk stains on my favorite dress. Luckily I was in good territory for emotional upheaval. Both my friends and Matthew were there to talk me down. (One tearful moment in a stairway was met with warmth, kindness and Reese's cups from two wonderful women, one whom I had only just met. Thanks again you guys.) And I was not alone. So many other women were there with their babies or kids and they made it work too. I think my favorite post about the conference so far is this one from Catherine of Her Bad Mother. She was there with her 2-month-old son and wrote beautifully about this particular part of the experience.

And yet it was worth it. Worth it in the extreme. There were so many incredible moments. The community keynote, where bloggers big and small got up and read posts, was amazing. The readers, every single one of them, were gutsy and brilliant. I was pretty much in tears during the entire thing, even during the humor readings. (I've said it before but I'll say it again: Eden Kennedy is a genius. We're just lucky she uses her powers for good.) There were excellent parties with very generous hosts. There were really thought-provoking panels, informative practical panels and a couple transcendent panels that made me feel proud of what I've done in this space.  And, as it was last year, the ability to connect with a lot of people even in the short moments I had with them was the best part. You think that you can't possibly have the time and yet somehow you do. Even in five minutes here and there I was able to make new friends and reconnect with others. I was able to run up to people who's writing I adore and tell them so. (Did realize that I am a bit of a gusher but f*ck it, I love telling people they rock). And I had a few (and by few I mean a few - not being modest) readers come up to me and tell me that they like my stuff. It's this human element that makes the weekend so compelling. In honor of that I have put together the following list for you. It's all the amazing people that I was able to interact with over the weekend. Some are friends I was able to see again and others were people I met for the first time. With some I had a great connection or stimulating conversations or a good laugh, and some I just showered with fangirl love. Some are people you might already read but all are people you would want to know. And that's by far the best thing about BlogHer - the realization that we are all just people sitting at a computer typing it out. Big bloggers, small bloggers, we've all got that in common. I hope you find some great new reads from this list. Truly these are wonderful folk.

Body Impolitic - Laurie Toby Edison
Lesbian Dad - Polly Pagenhart
Whoopee - Antonia Cornwell
Lemonade Life - Allison Blass
Milk Money Or Not, Here I Come - Schmutzie
Lucy's Spleen - Mle
Rookie Moms - Whitney Moss
Chookooloonks - Karen Walrond
bipolarlawyercook - Erika B.
DoppJuice - Sarah Dopp
Offsprung - Neal Pollack
Drowning In Kids - Jess Howard
Dooce - Heather Armstrong
Blurbomat - Jon Armstrong
Oh, The Joys - Jessica
Fluid Pudding - Angela D.
No Pasa Nada - Heather B.
Blooming Yaya - Bobbie Sue
Jen and Tonic - JenB
A Mommy Story - Christina M.
Fussy - Eden Kennedy
Notes To Self - Kyran Pittman
Gone Feral - Feral Mom
Finslippy - Alice Bradley
Laid Off Dad - Doug French
Greeblemonkey - Aimee
DigitalWoman - Nelly Yusupova
Dirt To Dish - Katherine Gray
Que Sera Sera - Sarah Brown
Cheaper Than Therapy - Ali Martell
Exurbitude - Bill Braine
Mocha Momma - Kelly
Nothing But Bonfires - Holly Burns
Whoorl - Sarah James
Three Kid Circus - Jenny Lauck
Mighty Girl - Maggie Mason
Savvy Auntie - Melanie Notkin
Kirtsy - Laurie Smithwick
Jennster - Jennster
Her Bad Mother - Catherine Conners
AlphaMom - Isabel Kallman
babyfruit - Aliza Sherman
A Smeddling Kiss - Velma Smeddling
In A Bottle - Genie Alisa
Jen Lemen - Jen Lemen
Kirtsy - Laura Mayes
Pistachio Consulting - Laura Fitton
Squaregirl - Krystyn Heide
Secret Agent Josephine - Brenda
I Am Bossy - Bossy

P.S. No doubt I have forgotten people and I'll probably just update as I remember. And another thing: If you're a blogger and this list makes you think "Oh I have to go next year" DO IT. And if this list makes you think "Oh I am not [blank] enough to go to BlogHer" believe me you are [blank] enough and you should DO IT. I hope you do. I want to meet you, dammit.

What Happens At BlogHer Goes On Flickr*

When I used to travel I would get my pictures back from the store and after the initial elation I would inevitably be disappointed. The photos were too small, too square, too tiny to capture what I had seen. The 360 degree view was lost and it was impossible to explain to those looking at the pictures what was missing. But they were always better than no pictures at all and now those tiny prints are priceless to me. In that spirit here is my BlogHer08 Flickr group. There are so many faces missing (especially Matthew's who took care of Willa the entire weekend while I just popped in to breastfeed and snuggle) and there are only a few strands of the story. But still they make me happy I had my camera and actually took pictures with it, unlike last time. A post to come and then I swear I will STFU about BlogHer until next year.

*Stole this line from LOD

PreBlogHer

BlogHer starts on Friday and already I can't sleep. I am so excited. (Also, can I just apologize if you wanted to go but couldn't and are sick of reading posts about it? I am really sorry - really - I know how annoying it is.) I did the required mani-pedi today and fretted about the clothes I chose to bring (and by "chose" I mean threw into a suitcase last week in a crazed, sleep-deprived fog). So it seems that I am in lockstep with several hundred other women headed over to meet each other at the St. Francis this weekend. And yet, I still can't believe it's actually going to happen. It doesn't seem possible (or legal) that I am about to have that much fun again. And I am not talking about about the shoes or the partying (okay, I am talking about those things a little) but rather the unique satisfaction and happiness you get when you meet up with your tribe. I can't wait to see the friends I made last year and meet an entire slew of new ones. I can't wait to talk about the Internets for two straight days. I can't wait to NOT be the only person at a table who blogs. If you'll be there, I can't wait to see you. And if you can't be there I'll represent as best I can and report back. Wish me luck, I'm going in.

O Say Can You Rewind

We let Lowell stay up late to watch fireworks on the fourth. This is the first year he's seen them and it was great fun. We can actually see our town's fireworks from our deck so we sat out there with some friends and watched. They were far enough away that the noise was just thrilling instead of scary so it was pretty much pure joy from start to finish. When it was over he said. "Wow! Let's watch them again." I had two thoughts:
1. This Tivo generation is going to be a handful.
2. He probably thinks this is what we do every night after he goes to bed.

My sister Kara is here visiting with my brother-in-law and nephews. They are passing through on their way to Chicago by way of all sorts of states in their camper van. I love guests that visit with their own guest room. Didn't even have to change any sheets! Yesterday Kara blew the dust and cobwebs off my sewing machine and made this dress for Willa just in time for a party at my aunt's house. OMG, right? OMFG is more like it. You should see it in person, I almost had a cute aneurysm every time I looked at her last night. 

Which leads me to: if you are going to BlogHer you just might see her in this dress in person. I'll be there, with Willa since I'm still nursing and since she is an awesome accessory. I hope so much to see you too. More about it later but we're leaving a little early to visit relatives in the Bay Area and I should be packing right now. I would be a very prolific poster if I had to pack more often.