For some reason, whether it’s Mercury being in retrograde (is it still? I don’t really keep track) or just a massive coincidence in time and space, I have a bunch of really good friends who are currently hurting and stressed. They have recently lost loved ones, have loved ones in the hospital, have financial issues, or are experiencing a personal health crisis or marital strife. It’s awful. There’s a lot of heartache out there. Being someone who throws her whole heart into relationships, I carry around a feeling of helplessness in regards to the struggles of my beloved friends. It simmers gently, just under the surface, bubbling up when I’m…
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- Amazing People, Best Thing Ever, Blessings, Favorite Things, Food, Friends, Fun in Chicago, My Friends Have Mad Skillz, Pretty Pictures, Something That Could Change Your Life
I Nearly Nailed @MomoFali In The Eye With A Gummy Bear Last Night.
Honestly. It was close. More on that in a bit. The 2015 BlogHer Food conference is in the books, and it was awesome. I loved that it was in my hometown for many reasons, not the least of which was that a bunch of my local friends (some food bloggers, some not) were in attendance. Working a conference on my birthday when work doesn’t seem like work AND I’m surrounded by so many people I love wasn’t too shabby of a gig, I have to say. My friend Aimee Giese of Greeblehaus, who I’ve known online since 2008-ish but with whom I’ve never spent more than a minute or two…
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Eight.
Today is my eighth blogoversary and while I don’t have the time to write what I consider a “proper post”, I really didn’t want to get to midnight without saying something here. I mean, eight years is pretty good! Thanks to the Facebook “On This Day” app, I was reminded of the post I wrote two years ago. (Wait, apparently I didn’t feel the need to write something last year for Year Seven? Okay, that’s weird.) ANYWAY, two years ago I made a really cool list of the experiences I’ve been afforded as a result of blogging. The year before, I wrote about some of the knowledge I’ve gained since…
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Enthusiasm is Contagious. Let’s Spread It Around.
I cried this morning. It was a good cry, though: my favorite. I was actually on the phone with a close (close close) friend and she was telling me about something in her life that had been looking pretty grim for a while but just had a huge turnaround. She started crying and then I started crying, and it was just the best. I kept saying, “I’m just so happy to hear you sounding happy!!” I felt such joy and wished I could bottle it. Then I took Roxie for a walk, and since that’s where I do a lot of good thinking, my brain wandered from this morning’s conversation…
- Amazing People, Confessions, Do I Really Want My Readers To Know This?, Friends, My Friends Have Mad Skillz
Friends First.
Momo and I met online seven years ago, at some point in 2008. (In Internet time that’s virtually 575 years ago.) We met in real life in June of 2009, when I helped bring a van full of meat to her house. (The Momo’s Meat Wagon story is here.) We’ve been close friends ever since. I became her contractor at BlogHer three years ago, and for every day of those three years I have been one half of a total Dream Team. I don’t think every pair of friends could have a successful work relationship, but we do. We have worked together seamlessly, with excellent communication and just the right…
- Amazing People, Blessings, Confessions, Friends, I've Got Mad Skillz, Jim Has Mad Skillz, My Friends Have Mad Skillz, My Kid Has Mad Skillz
Coping Skills For Mostly Happy People
I’m lucky in that I don’t have too many bad days. I’m constantly counting my blessings and I realize all the time that my life is pretty darn good. I am a completely normal human being though, which means that I’m not happy all the time. Life is a roller coaster: ups AND downs are part of the deal. Yesterday? Was a downer. Being a mostly happy person, I tend to freak people out when I’m having a bad day. It’s not that my friends think I cannot have a bad day (or am not allowed a bad day), but when I’m walking around living a 21st century Pollyanna life,…
- Amazing People, Best Thing Ever, Favorite Things, Food, Friends, Fun in Chicago, I've Got Mad Skillz, My Friends Have Mad Skillz, Skydeck Chicago, Travels
Life In The Fast Lane Surely Make You Lose Your Mind
It just hit me on Tuesday evening, right after I dropped Liz and her middle daughter off at the airport (how much I hate goodbyes could be a whole other post, ugh), how much I had done/accomplished/enjoyed in two weeks. It made me dizzy, and perhaps piled on more exhaustion, on top of my exhaustion. It also made me smile. The last two weeks of July just might have been the busiest two weeks of my entire life, but I’m not complaining. It was a blast. First there was the BlogHer conference in NYC. I went into it exhausted; the weeks leading up to conference weekend are crazed for our…
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Delayed Re-entry
What day is it again? *checks calendar* Ah yes, Thursday, July 23. Time flies when you’re having fun! This may be my most epic July ever. In fact, I don’t even have time to write an actual, well-thought-out post because I am about to get in my car and head up to Wisconsin for the day. The last couple of weeks have been crazy and fun, crazyfun. Last weekend was the eleventh annual BlogHer conference, in New York City. I say every year that BlogHer weekends are some of my favorite weekends ever ever ever, and this year was no different. In fact, the fun of it (and being around…
- Amazing People, Best Thing Ever, Favorite Things, Food, Friends, My Friends Have Mad Skillz, My Kid Has Mad Skillz, Proud Moments, Something That Could Change Your Life, Travels
My LTYM Travel Season, By The Numbers
Yesterday was Mother’s Day, and it also happened to be the last day of the 2015 LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER season. Each year I have driven to see some other shows, not only because I like hearing the stories live but also because I like to see how other cities do things (every city, while having to stick to certain national guidelines, creates a show that reflects their community), and it’s a way for me to support my fellow producers and meet up (on their own turf) with some of the teams I’ve coached as the LTYM National New Cities Mentor. This year, Jim was slightly astonished when I told…
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Wait, What Day Is This Again?
And the month, please? Well, I’m kidding about the month part. I know exactly what month it is (April), because I’m in the thick of LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER season. I am seriously having trouble keeping track of the days, though. (I just looked; it’s Wednesday. In case you also wondered.) I just returned from a whirlwind trip to New York City (for the LTYM book launch) and New Jersey (to visit my other family) and I had all kinds of fun being completely relaxed and in a state of recharge, especially at this moment (Sunday afternoon) at this place (the beach in Seaside Heights) with my sistuh from anuthuh…