Monday, August 9, 2010

I Said It. Out Loud. At BlogHer '10.

I know - part fantastic part really creepy, no???
Thanks to Cullenary Curser for the graphic!

So you know from Jenny Jerkface's post yesterday that despite the odds, we somehow managed to survive BlogHer '10. It was an amazing and remarkable weekend - we learned a lot. About blogging, about other bloggers, and about ourselves. And I am still pretty wired and soaking it all in at this point. I mean honestly, I was pretty damn hopped up almost the entire time I was there. Social anxiety? You betcha! But I pushed myself out of my comfort zone (with the help of JJ and TJ/Miss Tejota and a slew of other cool chicks we met everywhere we went). The level of hopped-up-ed-ness ranged from checking in at the Hilton and and being all "Holy crow I am so excited to be here!" to walking through the lunch buffet the second day and being more like "Uh, holy crow I think I might actually be thisclose to passing out so can someone please keep an eye on me for the next few minutes and make sure that if I slump to the floor I am not flashing the masses???"

As Twilight bloggers, we were not sure how we would be received by all of the other bloggers. I have residual "I was an unpopular child" baggage, and this was the bloggy-grown-up equivalent of heading out to recess at a new school and wondering what the cool kids had in store for me. I try to be optimistic in general, but "hope for the best, prepare for the worst" is a saying that I believe in. My expectations were...iffy. All I wanted to do was go and represent Twitardia/the Twidom and not choke too badly socially and maybe learn some stuff and meet some people. And boy howdy did we!

We came. We saw. We exchanged clever business cards.

Admittedly, after the high of the "Newbie Breakfast" and the "Welcome and State of the Blogosphere" things did get a little rocky... Five minutes into the first break-out session (JJ and TJ went to creative writing and I went to a Self-Hosting Your Blog workshop) , I plugged my laptop into an outlet in the Geek Lab and the connection sparked and made a "POP!" noise and just like that, I had no laptop. Like it was DEAD. Then when I was conferring with the various "Geeks" in the room perhaps a little too loudly with a bit too much cussing as we tried to figure out the extent of the damage (opinions ranged from "you're probably shit out of luck" to "you're totally fucked"), someone from the open-walled adjoining suite came over and shushed us. Go me! (To fully get the magnitude of this experience, you have to understand, I'm "the shusher" in our group of friends. JJ's volume is stuck on "excessively loud" and I've shushed people in their own homes even though I know it's a major faux pas. I simply can't help myself.)

Many freaking-the-fuck-out texts, trips to the concierge desk, a run-in with a woman who I almost punched because she was extremely put out by sharing the hotel with "those blogger people," a multi-block schlep to Staples, and $125 later, I had replaced my fried power cord and was back in business. Or blogness. Or whatever.

Thank you world's tiniest Staples for saving my laptop!!

And everywhere we went, whether it was lunch or a session or speaking to vendors in the Expo Hall or chatting with folks at a party, people all asked the same question: what's your blog about? And our answer was always some form of "we have an adult Twilight humor blog." While I will admit there were a few people who clearly thought we were bonkers, the general response to this statement was MUCH better than I ever would have imagined. Sure, some people backed away slowly, nodding politely and making sure to not make any sudden moves lest they invoke the ire of the crazy ladies, but the majority of people we spoke to were literally backed up against a wall and couldn't escape genuinely interested in what we had to say.

It seemed like every third person had a response something along the lines of "Oh my friend would LOVE your blog!! [note: we know "your friend" is you - just own it, ok??] or "We have a group of people at my office who LOVE Twilight and we all go see the movies together!!" and in rare instances we even got people to admit that they themselves were Twilight fans.

So what's the take-away here??? BlogHer was fucking AWESOME. We wish you had all been there with us. Next year, it will be held in San Diego, and we hope we'll be able to convince some of you to come with us. It doesn't matter how big or small your blog is or how experienced you are (or not) as a blogger - I guarantee you will have a remarkable experience (and you'll score some cool swag - oh the swag!).

Laptop = JJ's. BlogHer sign = drunkster dive find. Overflowing swag bags that we'll get to share with you guys in some upcoming giveaways? Priceless.

35 comments:

  1. glad you guys had fun!

    this has probably been mentioned already, but the twitarded trip to forks got a (very brief) mention on Lovely Listing.
    http://lovelylisting.com/2010/08/02/funny-real-estate-coober-pedy-gets-classy/

    juuust thought i'd mention it, haha.

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  2. I just recently refused to load up TwiBite while in the Apple store when the lady was selling me my Mac. Try explaining why you want a cool new photo program without saying "Robert Pattinson". I know the feeling.

    You were obviously too sexy for your power cord. I'm glad you found one that could handle you...

    Xoxoxo

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  3. You are too modest. When you both told people what you blogged about they were mostly giddy and ready to snatch those awesome business cards out of your hands so they could run to the nearest PC and/or Mac and see what you were all about. I was on the outside looking in. They weren't nice they were crazed with excitement.

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  4. In San Diego next year?!?! I was just telling my bff (and blog writing partner in crime) earlier today that if blogher is in Cali next year, we HAVE to go....and now we're definitely there! Glad you figured out your comp problem, that must have been a bitch!

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  5. You paid $125 for a power cord? Are you nuts? Don't answer that.

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  6. A) I always check Twitarded first when I need my fix, cuz you are so strange and wonderful and make me happy.
    2) Thank you so much, really, for the rundown of how great BlogHer was! I am inspired to go now. Thank you for admitting that conventions are socially scary. I love you.

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  7. I can't believe you were the only Twilight bloggers there! I guess we are little fish swimming in the big bloggy pond. I know you guys represented us well! I actual think there are a lot more closet Twitards than we realize out there that just need embrace their true selves! LOL

    STY - I am totally a shusher (I think its my teacher self) and if someone shushed me, I would have be like "(gasp) Excuse Me????" I hope you throat punched the shusher! LOL

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  8. Yay!!! I'm so proud of you guys! Sounds like so much fun! Plus you got to visit the world's tiniest Staples! Thanks for taking it for the team and going out there, loud and proud. <3 you all.

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  9. @christy... I'm so confused by that site. The Forks thing is a total non sequitur. Can someone explain??

    Good for you girls for flying your Twitard flag high and proud. Even if they HAD all been 'mean girls,' you still have us :)

    PS - Is that a New Moon poster I spy at the back of swag mountain?

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  10. @Cullenary Curser - That picture fucking slays me.

    @Misstejota - You're too nice to us. People were actually very friendly about the whole thing and seemed really interested in the ocncept and the community.

    @My After Car is an XKR - Damn, woman. You have a good eye.

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  11. I have to admit being surprised by your post being so timely! BlogHer must have really motivated you, I figured your recap would have happened in late September chocked full of apologies.

    I'm so jealous that you were able to go but it's obvious you had a fuck-awesome time!

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  12. STY you should invest in a portable surge protector for you computer, much cheaper than replacing the power cord! From one geek to another ;-).

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  13. What can I say: I really admire your owning it style. Also, I totally feel you, because a friend of mine and I were once super-embarrassing-when-you-say-it-out-loud blog-havers, too. It had to do with our ridiculous, over the top, excessive love of Nine Inch Nails. It was legendarily reviled or beloved on the NINternets, and it was freaking excellent and hilarious. Telling the uninitiated, however, was significantly less awesome.

    So, my message here is, own it with pride, ladies. This shit is fun, and there's no reason not to love what you love, and no reason not to say it out loud.

    Rock on with your bad selves!

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  14. Ooh it's going to be in San Diego next year? (my home town) I'll have to keep any eyes on that. And you said it didn't matter how big or SMALL the blog is? Anyhoo glad you gals had fun and learned alot.

    PS You must come to San Diego if you've never been. :)

    xo J

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  15. There's nothing else I can say other than I love you! Truly. Without Twitarded, Twilight would just be a movie that I obsessively watch and not a lifestyle choice. Thanks for everything. Mwahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  16. You can thank whatever god-awful virus I had for me having too much time on my hands last week. Hopefully no one has nightmares about the crazy STY-cat-Bella like picture cause Jeebus that pic is creepy in a funny-WTF kinda way.

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  17. Bwahahahaha!! Best pic ever. Good on ya, CC! I 'specially love STY's double ears. It's like she has furry devil horns AND kitty ears! We really do need shirts made for you. Even if it's just an iron on of that image. You know...for next year's BlogHer. And obvs FOOORRRKKKSSS!!!!

    So...I'm a swag WHORE, and your pic of the collected randomness made me salivate. I don't even know what's in the fucking bags but I WANT. If it's free and useless, I want TEN of each. The Bentist goes on dental conferences all the time and I make sure he gets all the free shit he can. Even if I don't know WTF he has in the bag, it's still Christmas. Tongue scrapers? COOL! 80 things of floss? That's so awesome! I can't wait to use it! You get the idea. God damned right dumpster diving...That's where memories are made.

    Can anyone tell me why the tiniest Staples in the world is in fucking NYC? That just blows my mind...

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  18. @Anon - I paid it because it was all they had and I NEEDED my laptop. NEEDED. They could have made me hand over a kidney and I would have been like "OK but make it snappy" - lol... Shit is expensive in the city. I know damn well I could replace the power cord for about 1/3 that (max!) in eBay or NewEgg or someplace like that if I had a week or even a few days, but I needed that fucking thing RIGHT NOW. oh and yes I am crazy. i know that for SURE now more than ever!

    @Lindsay Rae - why so tiny? here's the general gist: office supplies are cheap [mostly except power cords apparetnly]. commercial real estate in Manhattan is NOT cheap. So instead of "Oh yeah we keep our wide variety of power cords in aisle 6" it was "here is the one universal adaptor we carry - like it or lump it." BELIEVE ME my jaw hit the floor when I saw the pricetag.

    and after some cajoling, YES the hotel reimpursed me for it. The guy at the front desk was like "FINE... how much was it?" and i was like "$125." and his head snapped up and he's all "For a power cord???" but I had the receipt sooo...

    I was totally ready to break out the whole "if you don't make this right I will tell as many people as possible that Hilton sucks and i know more people than you do. probably" card. I was shaking - lol!

    sorry i don't have more time for comments right now! damn going back to works after a couple of days off SUCKS!!!

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  19. Can you believe I already have all my days off planned for 2011 and BlogHer in San Diego was not on the list - dang it!!

    I am glad you had a good time (and really glad the hotel reimbursed you for the cord).

    @Succubus - Excellent observation about them posting their news so soon after an event - it did seem awfully chilly in work today and I do seem to recall some flying pork LOL!!!!

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  20. I'm still laughing at yesterday's title, "We Went to BlogHer and We Didn't Beat Anybody Up."
    Aaaaand that's why we love you!

    And you know they all went right home and looked up your blog. Anyone with half a brain is twitarded- and who needs those whole-brained people anyway!

    Cheryl

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  21. Haha! That pic is priceless! Glad you ladies all had an awesome time. That swag pile is ginormous! Is that a bottle of booze on the floor too? But the BlogHer banner is the best, espec. cause you got it out of a dumpster. That's a story you'll be able to pass on down. Not sure to whom, but still. I live vicariously through your craziness!

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  22. So glad you gals are back and that you didn't beat up anyone or get beat up yourselves or get arrested, but just had a fucking good time. Someone else said "thanks for taking it for the team". Be interesting to see how many more hits we get now! Love ya.

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  23. Yea, I guess that sounded bad! Ummm, what I meant was, "I am in awe of your bravery" quoting, or really paraphrasing Fifty. To hand out cards? To tell someone to eat your vagina? At least mentally? Oh, gah, I'm not really helping. Anyway, you guys both rock and I bow down to your mad networking/social skills. So cool. OK, enough from me!

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  24. @miss tejota - we wouldn't even have thought to GET "business" cards if you hadn't mentioned them!! without you and suzpetals, we would have been up shit creek without a paddle!

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  25. @StY and JJF - you chicks would LOOVE San Diego! not just sayin' because it's my hometown, but it's really chill here and the weather is always nice, esp. this time of year!

    love your 'free' sign! :)

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  26. You should start a convention called "SwagMe"...I would pay good money for that.

    It looks like it was so much fun. I think I need to go watch that dancind video again. It is now the wind beneath my wings.

    V/W: 'anuffel' I think you got 'anuffel' swag for 10.

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  27. San Diego next year? AWESOME! Can't wait for you all to come see me! Might just have to get me a ticket so I can go to all these fabulous laptop-frying workshops. I kid... I just want to go to the parties and drink with you crazy people!

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  28. @my after car- i don't think forks has anything to do with that post at all! haha i just think it's cool to be talked about on an entirely unrelated site--twitarded is getting famous!

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  29. Ok, so next year I'm def going to the San Diego Blogher. I don't know why I didn't pay any attention to this thing this year, but you've def got it on my radar.

    All I have to say is, when you announce you're going to BlogHer next year and I email you about meeting up for breakout sessions and keg stands after hours, you better not back up against any walls pretending you missed my email!:)

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  30. Oh Hai, I spy my card there in the pile. It makes me happy in the pants. BTW...OMG you got a sign! My friend Mandy (you met her @TeamMandy) willlll be soooooooooooooo jealous. We were considering taking them, but she didn't know if her flight would charger her for another checked bag LOL.

    BTW, I totally don't get Twilight, but I love you guys and your blog is freakin' hilarious ;D

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  31. @Amber - yup that's you & your awesome eyebrows right there - lol!! thanks for the kudso - i gotta check you out! oh and that sign was HUGE - it would have cost a million dollars to get home on a plane...

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  32. HEHE my eyebrows :P They were drawn on in those photos, not they're tattooed on! Never have to fear the rain again, sweet relief.

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  33. I can't believe you were the only Twilight bloggers there! I guess we are little fish swimming in the big bloggy pond. I know you guys represented us well! I actual think there are a lot more closet Twitards than we realize out there that just need embrace their true selves! LOL

    STY - I am totally a shusher (I think its my teacher self) and if someone shushed me, I would have be like "(gasp) Excuse Me????" I hope you throat punched the shusher! LOL

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  34. A) I always check Twitarded first when I need my fix, cuz you are so strange and wonderful and make me happy.
    2) Thank you so much, really, for the rundown of how great BlogHer was! I am inspired to go now. Thank you for admitting that conventions are socially scary. I love you.

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