Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Eat, Pray, Blog

I just returned from my very own "Eat, Pray, Blog" tour.  I got into my car last Thursday, all alone, and travelled 6 hours to Casual Blogger Conference 2010 (CBC). As I got into the car there were many things I was excited about.  After a hectic last week of school I was craving some me time, and then some more me time.  Aloneness.  Me, myself and I.  Did I mention I was so excited to be alone? Well I was.

I had planned my alone, car time carefully.   First, was the food.  I love to eat when I travel.  So I packed the essentials in the front seat next to me.  Diet Coke, Twizzlers, Whoppers and Jr. Mints.  Yes, I am my dentist's best friend.  Next was the tunes.  About 4 hours of "Glee" tunes to be exact.  And me singing at the top of my lungs.  Sing like no one is watching.  Right?  I awarded myself the "Suburban Idol Award" for my vocals on "Dream On".  Then when I started losing my voice, literally, it was time for my audiobook.  I started listening to this month's book club selection The Thirteenth Tale. 
Amazing storytelling and a perfect companion for the beautiful scenery of Utah.

First on the agenda upon arrival was CBC's Girl's Night Out.  It was an event that gave me butterflies in my stomach.  I was walking into a room full of women and bloggers that I had never met before.  And yet some of them I considered friends.   Would I recognize my virtual friends in person?  I mean everyone knows that a blog pic ads 10 lbs!  I was not in the room one minute when I heard "Linda!"  and there was cute, cute Serene!  I was immediately with friends.  (pics on her blog.  I was a lame picture taker).  What a surreal night.  Meeting women that I only knew through blogs but felt as though we had known each other forever.  And that is how the whole weekend went.  Meeting, hugging, saying "I love your blog."
Alexes and I representing Nevada!

And a highlight for me was running into a celebrity crush LDS singer/songwriter Hilary Weeks!  I have seen her perform and entertain on several occasions and own several of her CD's.  She was there as an attendee and I saw her walking to the same photography class I was going to.  And I could not keep my mouth shut.

Me: Hilary Weeks! I love your music. I have actually talked to you before when you were in Las Vegas. (lame comment #1)

Hilary: (thinking oh my gosh. why can't she just let me be.) Oh thank you.  So you have a blog?

Me: Yes! (And pointed to my tag with my blog name on it because I knew she wanted to read my chest. Lame comment #2).

Hilary:  I like your outfit.

Me: (Thinking 'oh my gosh',  Hilary likes my outfit.  Just say thank you. But I am way too lame to just leave it at that).  Thank you.  Some of this is from thrift stores! (lame comment #3)

Hilary:  (looking completely perplexed.)  Thrift stores like TJ Maxx?

Me: (Feeling perplexed.  I guess for someone like Hilary, TJ Maxx may feel like a thrift store) No, like the Goodwill and DI.  ( Yep, I just told Hilary Weeks that I shopped at the DI.  Nice.  Lame comment #4).

Then I was saved by my bloggy friends Krista and Lisa.  Hilary and I were both thankful for that.

Serene and Charlotte

In between learning about photography (apparently I have been doing it all wrong), blogfrog, realtionships, finding my voice (I didn't know I had lost it) and becoming a millionaire blogger, we ate.  And ate. And ate.  Can you say Chick Fil A TWICE in one weekend?  My tummy was as full as my brain.

I  extended my trip by a day and let my husband enjoy the kids alone for Memorial Day.  Yes, I am generous like that.  It is a bit scary how much I enjoyed travelling and being alone.  I did miss my kid's faces and kisses.  I missed my husbands embrace (but not his scruff he is now growing out for Scout Camp next week. Love being kissed by Grizzly Adams).

 I loved being alone with my thoughts.  Being alone with my blog friends.  Being alone with my snacks and my tunes.  Being alone with my lame comments and Hilary.  I am home now.  Soooo not alone.  Kids are all home.  There is something to do or clean or pick up everywhere I turn.  So I will continue my Eat, Pray, Blog tour with a few added distractions.


Linda

37 comments:

Tio Rob said...

Hey, I had the kids pick up... stuff...

Kristina P. said...

Haha, I love your husband's comment.

It was great to meet you! Thanks for mocking me. I can always use more of that in my life. :)

Amy @ Run Mom Run said...

I also love your husband's comment! Hilarious!

Everyone is posting about this today and I am SO SAD I didn't go!!! Maybe next year!

I'm glad you had such a great time!

Momza said...

So so nice to meet you! Thanks for recognizing me and making me feel at ease!
Have a great week!

Lourie said...

So cool you got to go to CBC. I missed out :( I totally would have driven...all 700 plus miles... I could have picked you up along the way! haha.

Lisa said...

I am so jealous! It sounds like it was a lot of fun. My son graduated this weekend. Graduation, blog conference, graduation...Graduation won.

Cluttered Brain said...

Next time we totally have to drive down together. OK?
Like for reals.
That would be so cool.
We would have SO much blog fodder if we rode down together.
So much.

Right?

First step Casual Blogger Conference.
Second Step, Blogher.

You met Hilary Weeks?

That is so AWESOME!
I should have followed YOU all around the conference.

Cluttered Brain said...

I also LOVE your hubby's comment. :)

Jenny P. said...

It was so lovely to meet you. I wish I had been riding with you and all that food in your front seat!

gigi said...

I would have to catch an airplane to go but I think that maybe I'd like to do that next year! Thanks for your cute pictures.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like an awesome time and I'm jealous that you got to go!

I make a fool of myself every time I open my mouth.....lame comments flyin all over!

Kam said...

Wow, sounds so fun! Everyone is talking about the CBC and it definitely looks like alot of fun!
By the way, I just did an 11 hour drive with my lovely "Glee" tunes too, singing at the top of my lungs. Haha, gotta luv it!

TisforTonya said...

we're doing a carpool next year - my drive was BoRiNg... of course, I'd traded cars with ManOfTheHouse and his radio was broken... a VERY long 4 hours in the car that made...

Vanessa said...

Sounds like so much fun! When I went on a mom retreat, I had my Slurpee and my Twix with me, and lots of music that The Husband would roll his eyes at. :-)

MrsDixon said...

TJ maxx as a thrift store? I love it!

Karen Mortensen said...

Glad you had a good time. I wish I could have gone. I need the help.

Leanne said...

What an absolutely wonderful way to spend a couple days... how fun! I'm so glad you were able to meet some blog friends - how cool! (No, I don't feel like you were cheating on us at all! Of course not! Why would I ever thing that!??!) ;)

So glad you had some time to yourself (and glee!) and time to meet some old/new friends!

Leanne said...

see - I'm obviously so jealous that I couldn't be there, that I had a typo in my comment (thing - instead of THINK). Sniff. sniff. (missed ya!)

Serene is my name, not my life! said...

Oh Linda... bad, bad picture of me. And yes, I am vain like that. :D
Oh my heck woman, can I just say how much I love you? If you ever get tired of being in a place that's warm and sunny all the time, you should check out the frozen tundra out this way.
I had such a blast!

Krista said...

It was awesome! So much fun - now I want to come to your town and shop! I'm so glad that we finally met and I felt like I was with my old friend - I mean my young friend for a long time.

Unknown said...

I'm totally lame because I saw you twice, and didn't say anything...

okay so you were talking to someone, and then when I was busy you weren't.

Lisa said...

I appreciate you not mentioning my stammer, stupid, Hilary who? comments. My feet are recovered and I finished off my other cookie and brownie. Burped that salad all. night. long. Good times. Good times.

Cheeseboy said...

Your husband is awesome.

Also, I have read and seen your picture on so many blogs now and about this conference, I felt like I went. Still, no pictures of men. I don't believe that there were any there.

Unknown said...

Sounds like you had a great time! I'm so glad you got to go--and eat candy in the car and sing at the top of your lungs. It's so much fun isn't it? Gee whiz, now I want to go somewhere. That's so funny you told Hilary some of your clothes came from the thrift store-Hahaha! I love it! :)

Charlotte said...

I have too many Simon Cowells in my family to get a Suburban Idol Award. It was nice to meet you. I'm feeling glad I didn't make any effort to remember the lame comments I made at CBC. (Sometimes a bad memory is a good thing).

Unknown said...

Wish I could have come!

elesa said...

"Thrift Stores like TJ Maxx?"

ha! I burst out laughing when I read that, and nearly woke my little boy. Thanks!

Allyson & Jere said...

How fantastic that you got ALONE time, and enjoyed it so much. Sounds like this conference was indeed wonderful. I knew nothing of it, or where it was or anything. How does one get in the know?

Loved your hilary faux pas, and your husbands comments.

Living the Scream said...

you are hilarious I loved your conversation with Hilary Weeks, now I am sad that I did not meet you or Hilary Weeks at the CBC! There's always next year!

bernthis said...

ever since my divorce, I have really cone to love my time alone. I just dumped someone b/c being a lone sounded better than being with him. Couldn't have done that 5 years ago.

BTW_ Twizzlers rock!

Melanie Jacobson said...

You know what I like a little bit better than Twizzlers? Those cherry Nibs. You know the little licorice pieces? Yum!

Welcome to the Garden of Egan said...

OH my HECK! You are about the funniest thing EVER!!!

I loved that you enjoyed getting away by yourself to become the Suburban Idol!
Thanks for introducing me to ChicFilet or however you spell it.
Ya, Serene and I were the token Idahoans.

I too didn't realize I had lost my voice. Glad I went to the CBC to realize I needed to find it.

You were too awesome. Thanks for being such a nice wonderful new cyberfriend IRL!

annie valentine said...

I ate so much that I still haven't weighed myself. And I do not believe that Hillary Weeks was there and I missed her. Does Elisa know? Why didn't we give the girl a microphone? And TJ Max is too pricey for me, I totally would have gotten the thrift store comment.

Anonymous said...

I just met you briefly at CBC, but I'm so glad I did. I am loving your blog, you are a crack up.
I met Hilary Weeks with a bunch of my friends. We freaked her out while she was walking down the sidewalk. She will remember us forever as "those totally insane craft bloggers". Nice.

Annette Lyon said...

I wore a pair of DI boots to CBC. Don't tell. :D

Dalia - Gen X Mom said...

So lucky! I wish I could have gone! Maybe I will see you at the Lady Bloggers one in November...in Vegas!

Libby's Library said...

Twizzlers - Yum. Sugar and preservatives...doesn't get much better than that:-)
!
Enjoyed meeting you at CBC!

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