Posts Tagged ‘interwebs’

My little corner of the Internet is buzzing. In two! weeks I will be on my way to Philadelphia International to pick up Jenn from the airport. After some serious SQUEEEEEEEEing we will be on our way back to my humble little suburb for the evening. Two! weeks from tomorrow we will wake up on HER BIRTHDAY and mosey our way up to the Big Apple courtesy of chauffeur services demanded  offered by my darling husband. (Thanks babe!)

Anywhoo. I’ve never been to BlogHer before so I can’t offer up any advice for newbies (me) and while I havebeen to NYC more times than I can count…I still get lost, so no sightseeing advice either. So. Here is what I got. A little bit about me even though I am under no illusion that I am interesting enough for anyone to truly care, hee hee.

• I am extremely awkward. Even more so around large groups. Pair that with a couple thousand women I don’t know and you will likely find me in a pool of stuttering mess.
• However…I LOVE to talk. Once you get me going I am a good time, I promise!
• I have panic attacks. I am not overly dramatic about them, but if you see me and I look like a deer in headlights? A hug would be in order. Please and Thank You. Need a hand to hold yourself? Mine will always be available.
• I dislike dressing up. While I will probably throw on a casual dress at some point during the conference, chances are I will feel somewhat out of place in it. I’ll deal. It’s cool.
• My list of people I MUST hug is about 3 pages long. Most of my absolutes have sent me cell phone numbers to ensure we find each other in the swarm of yapping women. If you haven’t and want to meet me? Send me an email with your cell to ali-at-mylifewiththem-dot-com. Capice?
• If I am for some reason on your list of people you want to meet…come talk to me! I am fairly shy though I put on a good game sometimes. *cough twitter cough* I am NO good about approaching groups alone. I am going to work on this, but…we will see.
• I have serious ADD. Oh look, something shiny! What? Who? Where was I?
• I have smaller feet than the rest of my roomies. No shoe swaps for me. Sad Panda.
• I have NEVER been away from my husband overnight unless I was in the hospital after having his babies. Can’t say that I cared much then. This is going to be a totally new experience for me. I may need someone to spoon with.
• I’m looking for someone to go walk around NYC on Thursday afternoon with the sole intention to take some pictures for a couple hours. Nothing long or crazy. Just a buddy to shoot with.
• I will be at the Starbucks in the Hilton numerous times throughout the conference. Coffee meet-ups are a must.
• I have boring hair.
• I fidget.
• I like Jager bombs and I like Blue Moon even more.
• I have no desire to be DRUNK at any point. I would like to maintain a constant level of tipsy. Let’s do that.
• I have some guilt about leaving the boys and coming to this conference at all. I am going to try damn hard to tell the guilt to suck it and have a good time.
• Have I mentioned I want to meet you?

De-Lurk PLEASE! Leave a comment, I want to know what is going on with you!

Are you coming to BlogHer? Are you partying with the Blogher-at-Home ladies? Are you doing something else insanely awesome that weekend? Are you stuck working?

It’s official. The countdown portion of my year has begun! The next 2 months are jam packed with craziness and I absolutely CANNOT wait.

Last Monday started my summer session of classes. I’m taking Abnormal Psychology and so far so good. All it is really showing me is how crazy my mother really is. But I knew that already, and it was reaffirmed to me today. Crazy. Some days I am seriously glad that I am adopted and none of that is in my genes. Gah.

Anyway…backtracking. The class is 6 weeks long or so, placing the end day as July 1st. I had to rearrange my work schedule to accommodate the class and found myself working 7 weekends in a row. Seven. BOO. However…at the end of the seven weeks come (drum roll please) A WEEK AT THE BEACH. Thank the sweet baby Jesus because I need a fracking break. For realz.

So we come back from the beach and then there is only a couple weeks until BlogHer! I am so excited to be going. Not just to meet these amazing people who are such a huge part of my life. Not just to juggle the bull’s balls with someone I can’t wait to booze with. Not just to be kid and husband free in my favorite city in the world. Not even just to Nom Nom on the cutest baby ever.

I am excited to be taking a step. A step away from the anxiety that has grounded me since 2005. A step away from being too afraid to put myself out of my comfort zone. A step that I should have taken a long time ago. A step that will probably take some xanax and some hand holding.

I think I just need one more thing. Some killer shoes.

Yesterday I opened my reader as always and went to read my favorite blogs. I am always excited when I see that Jenn over at Princess Prose has posted. I was even more excited to see that she had tagged me for an award! I was having a bit of a bad day (still am) and it cheered me up considerably. THEN came the extra frosting on the already calorie heavy cake…I pulled up my site and saw that she had redone it for me! I LOVE IT! Thank you so much lady.

Also gave me something to post today which is also a bonus. So thanks Jenn, I super awesome love you and can’t wait until August when I love tackle you in Philly International.

However, along with these lovely little awards come rules. I’m not so good about those.

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award. (Thanks Jenn!)
2. Copy the award and place in on my blog. (Done and Done)
3. Link to the person who nominated me. (Go Here Beeshes)
4. Share 7 interesting things about yourself. (This is where things start to go downhill)
5. Nominate 7 other beautiful bloggers. (Easy Peasy, right? RIGHT?)

So. 7 interesting things about me. I’m not really all that interesting so this is not fun for me.

~ I always wanted to be left handed. Badly. In about 7th grade I actually tried going the whole year only writing with my left hand. I practiced and practiced and can actually now write very legibly with both hands.

~I am in a full out search for my birth family. I was placed for adoption at birth and was in a NICU for 27 days after which I was placed with a foster family who I stayed in contact with as a kid. The search is super stressful, but my goal is to come out of it with some medical history for my family.

~I hope to enter nursing clinical in Fall of 2011. My ambition is to be a NICU nurse and provide support for little loves like Heather’s  Maddie and  Lindy’s Natalie.

~ Tomorrow (SQUEEEEE) I am buying a Canon Rebel XSi. I have no idea how to use it but Heather has assured me the “For Dummies” book will make me a pro!

~ I have a four year old step-daughter. Actually her and Jimmy’s birthdays are only a day apart, they are one day away from being exactly 3 years apart. ACTUALLY…Maddie and Chase are 18 months apart, Chase and Jimmy are 18 months apart and Maddie and Jimmy are exactly 3 years apart. Gah.

~ I *may* have a touch of baby fever. Thank the sweet baby Jesus for an IUD that I can’t just decided to stop taking, because mah ovaries are on FIRE!

~ I’m peeing myself nervous for Blogher…but can’t wait to go!

OK. I’m glad that is over. Now for seven Beeeeeautiful Bloggers.

Cara of Momma Says. She doesn’t blog enough *hint hint* besides…she kept me on the phone for an hour a few weeks ago so she OWES me!

Katie of Loves of Life. I love her blog and actually know her in real life through an old job. She is expecting her first child soon and her blog is so much fun.

Steph of A Grande Life. We survived the double blizzard of 2010 together via tweet deck and I will always be grateful!

Cindy of Poobou. I love her and her little Catie is my Jimmy’s birthday buddy! She also answers my stupid ass questions for me without throwing fruit at me.

Lu of Jaded Perspective cause, dude, it’s Lu.

Amber of Pacifier Graveyard. The girl just went through hell and is on the other side smiling.

Sara. 3 little ones and still manages to look at things on the bright side. I need more of that!

 

I don’t know why it even surprises me anymore.

Our community is strong.

The first time I saw it in action was after the passing of Heather and Mike’s sweet baby girl Maddie. I was a newborn to the blogging world and twitter, just dipping my toes in the social media world after years of Myspace and Facebook. The outpouring of love for this young family that was going through the unthinkable was quick and true. 

  We love you and we are going to find someway to help the best we can

This is the message that has been spread. People show their love and support through blog posts, hundreds and hundreds of them.  When Mckmama’s warrior Stellan has headed to the hospital in critical condition multiple times over the last few months, the response has been the same.

We support you and want you to know you aren’t fighting alone.

Messages on Twitter are re-tweeted, and updates spread like wildfire. No one is left out of the loop. Everyone has an equal investment in the pain. No one dares suggest that because we are “only friends on the Internet” that we shouldn’t be upset. My own husband has given up trying to understand, as he watches me read “The Spohrs Are Multiplying” every morning, most days tears and laughter emitting from me together.

Our community is loving.

Anissa is a fabulous woman. I have only had the pleasure of direct interaction with her a handful of times, but over the course of my day she makes me laugh more than anyone on the interwebs. She is caring, strong, hilarious, gentle when needed, and quick….so quick to jump when a friend needs her.

She needs us. Anissa suffered a stroke yesterday and needs prayers if you’re the praying type, or just general good juju is you’re not. Gather up all the positive energy in your mind and send it towards an ICU bed in Atlanta.

Anissa, I am so hoping for a wonderful recovery for you. I fully expect you to be back and eating kittens soon.

**For updates and ways to help, please visit the Aiming Low website.**

 

I’ve been taking a bit of a step back from social media and the damn Internet in general in the last few days. Don’t worry, I’m still here…but I’m not allowing it to rule my days.

I spend a ridiculous amount of time with my fingertips on an electronic device. I check Facebook  and Twitter, email and message boards that I am a part of. I have to check in on my bank accounts and school work. I poke in my Fantasy leagues to see how badly I’m losing (Matt, your on my shit list). I pull up Google Reader and read all my favorite blogs.  Then when I’m finished, I end up starting at the beginning and checking them all again.

It really ends up being a way bigger part of my day then it needs to be and I think that needs to change. I have so much that I need to do every day that ends up being pushed to the side because I get sucked into the black hole that is TweetDeck, or get started playing Bejeweled on FaceBook.

I’m going to start trying to stay off the internet in the mornings before I go to work. Not that I won’t be on at all, but I want to spend more productive time with the boys, and I want to get all the things done that I’ve been putting off. I can’t do that if I’m glued to my laptop.

I’m also participating in National Novel Writing Month. I’ve actually written a novel. I finished it when I was 23, but it sits in a drawer in my room because I’m not motivated enough about my writing to see if it’s any good. I’m excited about the challenge of 50,000 words in 30 days. I think it will be fun and I am enjoying the chaos of getting to know and create characters in such a short time. My story is taking form quickly, and I’m really having fun writing it.

So…that’s what I’m trying to do. It doesn’t mean I won’t be around to chat with. It doesn’t mean I’m not here if you need me. I’ll be doing a little lurking, trying to comment on more blogs and respond to more of my comments here. Twitter gets in the way of my blogging sometimes and that’s going to change.

Mwah.