Note: This post is all about BlogHer08 and how I went to it. That's right - I'm blogging about a conference I went to about blogging. If you don't care - I don't blame you. Carry on.
Okay, so BlogHer08. When you wait a week to do a post about it, you'll find that others have summed it up better than you ever could! Huzzah! Once again, procrastination pays off.
I would say my experience at BlogHer was a synthesis of mo pie's from Big Fat Deal and Kerry from Crunchy Carpets. Great people, overwhelming and underwhelming simultaneously, conference is what you make it, should have been more prepared...etc. And now, the highlights!
Excellent Choices I Made:
Meeting Curly - Somehow, out of 1000 bloggers at this conference, I only knew two. I'm married to one of them and the other one was the witty, lesbonic Curly McDimple of Ham & Cheese on Wry. I started reading her a couple of years ago and while many people came to love her blog through her heartbreaking "re: the muppets" series, it was her description of seeing a co-worker exit a bathroom stall eating a piece of pizza that cemented my high regard for her work.
She and I pulled off an historic meeting at breakfast on the second day (tricky, as she was there for work and using her *real* name. That's right! I know the true identity of Curly McDimple! Don't worry, though, Curly - your secret is safe with me. Well, pretty safe. I guess what I'm saying is that it would take a lot of dough...nuts... to pry your name, address and cellular telephone number from my powdered sugar lips).
Big Fat Deal Meet-Up - BlogHer had several of these "Birds of a Feather" get-togethers where, for 45 minutes, you could hang out with other bloggers in your niche. When I saw "BFD Meet-up" listed on the schedule (why wasn't the whole name on there? What if we didn't know what that meant? Not all the fatties can decipher your ingenious code!) I guessed it was where all the other creampuffs would be. And I was SO RIGHT.
The BFD Meet-Up was easily the highlight of the conference portion for me. 45 minutes of drinking mimosas and admiring the bodacious racks of fabulous women? Ah, how I giggled and laughed and blushed and swooned. I look forward to stalking subscribing to all the cool chicks mo pie listed in her BlogHer report. All of you! Hotness.
Random Bench Meet-up - Sadly, the BFD meet-up was only 45 minutes long, so I ended up plunking myself down on a bench next to two lovely ladies. Sisters-in-law. My knitting (ah knitting - you are the ultimate ambassador!) started us chatting. We talked mothers, mothers-in-law, their kids and my gay dog. It was a welcome oasis from the craziness surrounding us. Cynthia (www.goodenoughwitch.com) - Lucretia (www.geekmommy.net) - you are delightful and I really enjoyed meeting you. I look forward to stalking following you too.
Grover in Cupcake Form - This is the best fucking cupcake I've ever had:
Poor Choices I Made:
Yelling "This is the best fucking cupcake I've ever had" towards a person I thought was Katr but who turned out to be a shocked mom carrying a shocked toddler - Lady...I'm sorry.
Introvert Bloggers Panel - Like many a blogger, I'm a delicate flower who's painfully shy and from the description, it seemed like this session would have an interactive component where we introverts could meet and mingle in a smaller group (instead of the free-for-all of the morning "speed dating" session that I do not remember a single person from). It *seemed* that way, but in reality, not so much. It was basically three shy bloggers talking about how everyone's shy and we should all get over it. Except them. They wouldn't be getting over it. But we should feel free to talk to them if we see them alone in a corner. But if they see us alone in a corner, they will not come over to us. Thanks, guys.
Okay, nothing against the people on the panel, who all seemed very nice - it was really more about my expectations being ... unmet. Also...being an introvert is not the same as having low self-esteem. I...that's all I'm going to say.
Childless Bloggers Panel - 75% of the bloggers *I* met at BlogHer had kids. Some of them called themselves "mommy bloggers". Some didn't. Regardless, by Day Two I was excited to spend a little time with bloggers who didn't have kids and who maybe wanted to talk about other stuff. Like gay dogs or doughnuts. And while there were definitely representatives from the "childless by choice" camp, I felt the panel was overwhelmed by talk of...CHILDREN. Hahahahaaa! Shitballs!
That's right. By wanting to avoid talking about children, I set myself up to hear about kids (having them, not having them, not being able to have them, being angry at others who have them, feeling pressure to have them, hormonal urges to have them, regretting not having them) for 90 minutes. Just as I was thinking about cutting my losses and trying another session, Curly came in and plunked herself down next to me, saying that the only other session I wanted to go to in that timeslot was hot, bothered and standing-room only. So I just sat there silently. Knitting a baby hat. Enjoying the irony.
Things I Would Do Differently Next Time
Decide why I was there - Katr and I signed up for BlogHer on a whim. To "see what it was like". Well, now we know! And I kinda still don't ... get it. The vibe was ... whatever, if we were to go back, I would have to spend some time getting it.
Decide if I care about "famous bloggers" - If I read your blog, you're a famous blogger to me. At BlogHer, there were apparently lots of "famous bloggers". I felt very out of the loop because I didn't know who any of them were. Except Dooce. What's funny is that I've HEARD of Dooce but don't actully read Dooce. I don't know why - she's hilarious. But I guess I only have room in my heart for one career blogger at a time. And I choose Brazen Careerist Penelope Trunk.
God, I loves me some Penelope. Katr apparently sat next to her - for real!! - at dinner at a geek dinner in Toronto before the CMA conference in May and came back with a gay girl crush on her. Sometimes, in the throes of passion...but no, surely I'm imagining that.
Anyway, what? Famous bloggers. I guess my point is that you are all famous bloggers to me and I would want to go if you were going so that I could meet you. Or if Penelope was going. Hear that, Penelope? I'll totally go if you go!
So that was BlogHer! I hope you've enjoyed my in-depth coverage! Coming up - doughnuts like you've never seen them before. Stay tuned.
