Let me start by saying this, "!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Holy Shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
This is incredible. There aren't really enough superlatives to describe this experience so far, so I won't even try. It's going to take me weeks to process all of this. Most of all, I am amazed at myself. Hi! have you met me? I don't like people! I avoid crowds! Yet, here I am in the midst of thousands of women, staring at people's chests. For the name tags, I swear.
I arrived in downtown Chicago yesterday, and drove past U.S. Cellular Field (Home of the 2005 World Champion White Sox!) just as Mark Buehrle was throwing the last pitch of a perfect game. Fireworks were going off during the day! Horns started honking all over the place! So, I was kind of there. In twenty years, I will be telling my grandkids about how I had seats along the first base line. I am just that kind of liar embellisher storyteller.
Driving in Chicago sucks. And the GPS I was using is apparently only two-dimensional, as it wanted me to turn onto a street that was fifty feet below the bridge I was driving on. I opted out of that.
Upon walking into the lobby, I started seeing familiar faces. Neil Kramer from Citizen of the Month. Allie Worthington from Blissfully Domestic. Black Hockey Jesus from The Wind in Your Vagina. And guess what? Before the day was over, I was walking up to these people! Introducing myself! It was actually quite fun. Who knew?
Quick burger for dinner with Suzanne from Twenty-Four @ Heart, who is hilarious, and Lara from Life: The Ongoing Education, who is wise and funny beyond her tender years.
Literal Dan, and his wife, J-, were here last night, and I spent hours talking to them. We are prepared to get J- a shirt that says, "I'm not the Blogger, he is." Though, she was so funny, I really think she ought to have her own blog.
Around 7:30, J- and I decided to jump into the production line that was packing the swag bags for the People's Party. I met Anissa Mayhew from Hope for Peyton, Amy in Ohio, and Lisa from Mommedy! And worked my ass off, but it was fun.
Once I fought my way into the (very crowded) party, I met armloads more people. Poppy Buxom! Blackbird! Jozet from Halushki! Jen Lancaster (extra loud squee!) Susie Sunshine! Stiletto Mom (one of my kind roomies, more about her and my other partner in crime, Sprite's Keeper, later)! Carol from Texas! The Bloggess!
Oh, yeah, and I stood, and danced (a little bit!) right in front of Chris Mann, along with Poppy Buxom, and an adorable toddler, who spun until she was dizzy (the toddler, not Poppy). Between songs, I told Chris that the toddler could be his Robert Palmer girl. He thought I was volunteering. Eek. Not me, her. Anyway, very nice guy, terrific voice.
I asked about 100 people if they knew about pnn.com (on behalf of Leigh Behrens, who was not able to attend, and provided me with a great deal on her ticket). NO? Do you read Ask the Bloggess? Yes? It's on pnn.com! Oh, okay! That was the course of most conversations. I have signed up there myself, and am deciding what I want to use my free blog space(!) for there. I'm thinking weekly-column type thing. The minute I signed in, I got a welcoming comment from another blogger there. Very sweet. I'm Jenny's neighbor! You can be, too!
More later!
