Thursday, July 17, 2008

And you know what I love about blogging?

If you are reading this, I am on a plane with a cocktail in hand.

I feel like I don't even want to know what next week has in store for me... like when nobody was really planning to come back to work after New Year's 2000. This time, though, my life may really be completely altered (or not). (This is where my mom would start splashing holy water on me and I'd have to remind her that by something, I meant something positive.) I'm trying not to have these great expectations, but how can I not??? What with Discovery Channel throwing the Experience Project Party (thanks Kate and Julio!), and then the BlogHer Newbie Party being only one floor up from the People's Party so I'm only an elevator ride away, you can hardly help but dream about the hangover and lost voice that will arrive Friday morning. Oh gosh, did I forget the CheeseburgHer party that Suburban Turmoil and Alpha Mom are throwing? Um, no I didn't! HOLLER! Then of course the actual convention (oh yeah...)with all the break-outs about turning your blog into a book, content syndication, monetizing... all that jazz. Let's not forget the opportunity to hear my heroes speak or sign their books for me or the necklace that signifies snapping solidarity. Or the Photo Walk!

Holy Crap Batman!

But before all of the parties were planned, I fell in deep like with all the people I've met through the BlogoSphere. I am always talking about them as if they are my coffee house buddies or my neighbors. I feel like my day isn't complete without checking in with D'Arcy or HappyWife. And the deeply touching ruminations of a couple of boys from Madison... wow. (True story... I wanted to go to UWMadison because I had once visited there and remembered how nice and how cute the boys were. Gus... Robb... what might have been... hahaha.) Plus of course my touchstones, Daily Goddess and Rowena, the Warrior Girl. I have been privy to some amazing insights into their hearts.

But the thing that I love most about blogging?

I just did it. Did you see? I started a sentence with "but." I could also start one with "and" if I wanted to. And (haha) I could just avoid commas altogether. I could also leave a sentence hanging out there all alone. Not a statement... it could just end in a question mark. Or (haha again) I can use elipses... all... I ... want ... a'la Joyce Carol Oates... but without all the fame... hmmm... let me do that again...

That feels GOOD!

Why? Because I majored in English. These little personal "statements" are me being all crazy rebellious. In another time, it would likely have sent my high school English UA teachers into a tizzy. They are top of mind right now because my TWENTY year reunion (holy sh!+) is next month. Plus, it's just so hard to forget them. They were SO. AMAZINGLY. UPTIGHT. Mr. Reese used to require that we use blue, black, or blue/black ink. When that quirk was noted in the yearbook, he was really not amused. Strange, but I don't recall what he looked like with a smile on his face, either. And Ms. Oh-What-Was-Her-Name... well, we'll call her Miss Betsy Fussypants. Goes with the hair. She had this annoying habit of perching on one foot and cracking the other ankle over and over and over... She used to confuse the shit out of me when it came to commas. They would be so red-lining my work with all the broken grammatical rules. But breaking the rules is what it's all about sometimes...

God, I love blogging...

~

That's it for me until next week. I'll be keeping in touch through the tweets. They are likely to be the random babblings of a Good Time Girl named Sugar drunk with martinis who is being carted away by security from Dooce's suite, I'm sure... If you want to experience it all, you can follow me on Twitter. If you have better things to do than following me (like changing the toilet paper roll) we'll catch up next week. I plan to have many stories and accompanying photos.

And maybe that tattoo...

Ciao!

...

13 comments:

HWHL said...

HAVE FUN!!! :-)
Can't wait to get the "full report"!!

Unknown said...

OMG, so funny! I don't feel complete until I have checked your blog too. I am dying from laughter picturing you drunk at Dooce's door! I'd be down the hall throwing up, I am NOT a good drunk!

I wonder what my students will remember about me. The fact that I make them blow their noses outside the door. That I constantly have hand sanitizer and I make them clorox wipe the desks once a week (those things get dirty!) But hopefully it's the discussions on To Kill a Mockingbird, the introduction to Ayn Rand and Objectivism and the beauty of a superlative adjective!

I am SO excited for you! Can't wait to hear about it. I still have to figure out this twitter thing!

Ann said...

Totally want to hear if Blogher is Climactic or AntiClimactic. :)

Anonymous said...

Wow - have fun! It sounds like you already are! :)

Lori said...

Hope you have a great time with lots and lots of fun stories to tell us when you get back!

Anonymous said...

hey it was great meeting you this afternoon & chatting a bit! Despite all the parties last night you seemed to be walking & talking without slurring. too much. jk. :) hope you enjoy the rest of the weeknd & I'm sure we'll run into each other again

Ruahines said...

Kia ora Sugar,
Enjoy those cocktails! Madison could have used you. Have a fantastic week. Reads like a very cool experience is in store for you. Cheers.
Rangimarie,
Robb

Lu said...

I am so, so, so glad I had the chance to meet you. You are one of those new kindred spirits I had to come to the west coast to meet. you are a wonderful woman and i am looking forward to getting to know you better on and offline. you are right, the party was fun!!

Lori said...

Just stopping by to say that once you recover from your fun trip, to stop by my blog...I posted something for you today!

HWHL said...

Hey girl! I'm sure you're still "in the city"... but just wanted to pop by and say "HI".

Wanted to tell you a quick funny story (not funny-ha-ha-, but funny-small-world....) I was having lunch wtih an old friend on Sunday... and we were talking about husband issues (she has been married 17 years... I've been married 16). Anyway, our husbands are very similar and I was telling her the issues with Hubster (in more detail than I have put on my blog, of course) and she told me about a book that has "changed her life". Guess what it's called. Take a wild guess..... ready?

"Codependent No More". I practically choked on my drink. I wanted to say "Where is Sugar Jones when I need her?!"
Anyway, I'm going to go BUY the book tomorrow (no library copy for me... I obviously need my OWN copy to love, clasp to my heart, underline, asterisk, dog-ear, etc.)

Just thought you'd get a kick out of that.

Anyway, looking forward to hearing all about BlogHer and all the Fab Girls you met! :-)

Owlhaven said...

I was glad to meet you at BlogHer!

Mary, mom to many

Anonymous said...

hey sugar, it's tre....we met at blogher....beautiful blogs session and then had a chat on the steps while you waited for your sis. would value continuing that conversation. here's me: evolveserenity@gmail.com or 305.394.1070 or thoughtbythought.wordpress.com moving to a self hosted probably typepad blog this week.....please be in touch. would soo value that. soo happy to know and have met you. hugs, tre :)

KingdomWriter said...

Well while everybody is talking about BlogHer (that I have never heard about)I just wanted to say that I laughed about 'what you love about blogging'... I certinly didn't major in english, but have an eternal editor in my head (I wish it would SHUT UP) and countless writers meetings with people using BIG RED PENS for grammar corrections. So blogging is freedom, although there is always that voice in there...