Blogger Sightings
This last week has been so much fun. I have gotten to see some of my favorite bloggers. Some of whom I knew before blogging, and some of whom I met after, but all of whom I know more about through their blogs.
It all started with a family reunion. There, I got to see some of my favorite bloggers I’m related to:
I had time for a visit to Karli’s house to drop off a thank-you gift for her multitude of hard work designing my blog. It was a brief visit, but so nice to chat, and to meet her husband and see her girls again.
And Brooke was so kind as to host a BBQ dinner for me on my way through her hometown. She didn’t mind our bedraggled state, as we had been driving for many hours. She also overlooked the rudeness of our eat-and-run mentality as we had many hours yet to drive afterwards. Bless her and her chocolate chip cookies, too. We heard the Bean chanting with joy about her choc-o-lit cookie from the back seat of our car as we drove away.
(*Note: I drove back to her house to get this picture after I’d already left. With her permission, I’m rectifying my oversight and putting it up!)
Sadly, I missed The Constant Gardener. She had to go put her kids in bed before we arrived at Brooke’s. Ah well, another time.
Tonight, my sister, Meg babysat for my Bean while I went to see a movie with Cody. Huzzah for Meg, you can read on her blog all about her new job she landed today.
p.s. This picture of Meg is her holding Beanie when she was a candy corn a.k.a. the Halloween pope for Halloween when she was 4 months old.
I didn’t get to see my sister, Becky. Maybe soon we’ll suck her into the blogging mania surrounding our family. Maybe that’ll be when she isn’t working 2 jobs and going to school. This is a time-consuming hobby, yo.
p.s. Yes, that is her holding the 6-week-old Bean
Then, after all the travel and reunioning was finito, I got to get together with one of my long-time favorite bloggers. Caryn from Novelist in Training. We met today for the first time as she was passing through my neighborhood.
We had never met, and I realized upon seeing her at my door, that I had never even seen a picture of her, so even the mental image I had formed was wrong. I pictured her with short hair. Where I was not wrong was her personality. I think we were both a little nervous that it might feel uncomfortable, but . . .
It. was. great.
I had a photography client coming at 4:00, so I planned to meet Caryn at noon to give us plenty of time to chat.
Should have planned more time for the chat.
The only awkward moment of the day. . . no, there were 2, but I’m getting to the other one. Just hold your horses.
I guess we’ll just say that the 2nd and final awkward moment happened when my client rang the doorbell at 4:00 and we stood up in shock and I had to hustle Caryn out the door “without so much as a by your leave or a haaaaave an apple. ” Actually, I gave her some peaches. Then I rushed her out the door. I could have sat and talked with her for another few hours. Where on earth did our four hours disappear to? I didn’t even get a picture of us to post. Dang!
Awkward moment number 1, told second so as to confuse you, was the only part of the visit when I wanted to gnash my teeth and sink under the table, and was only salvaged by Caryn’s kind willingness to overlook it.
Bean at lunch at my favorite Mexican restaurant. This picture comes no where remotely close to showing the devastation which my darling Bean wrought upon our table, the floor, and her outfit. There was creamy cilantro ranch dressing everywhere. She spit tortilla bits into my hand, twice. Caryn just smiled politely while I wiped the drooled-on, partially digested bits of food into a balled-up napkin. Ahem.
This didn’t stop us from having a great time discussing everything from YA fiction to political leanings in Caryn’s community, to how she met her husband *cool story*, to photography, to education. Yay. Now when I read her blog I’ll know she has long hair, is a good listener, and is every bit as interesting as she seemed in the first place.
So, friends… all that to say: Blogging makes a large world smaller, and I’m glad I do it. What a lot of fun I’d be missing if I hadn’t started this journey just over a year ago. 
(Note: One of the topics of my discussion with Caryn was how short sweet blog posts are best. Uh… seems I’ve got room to improve.)
And if that wasn’t enough for you . . .
I see by my computer clock that it’s 1:45 am. Meaning it’s Friday. And I’m NOT posting twice a day. It’s not happening… so whether you’re still reading or not, it’s time for me to be serious and keep my promise about posting Friday’s Getting To Know You segment.
The topic was to share something that you procrastinate.
I’ve got two. Okay, so I’ve got 600. I’ve got two that I want to share right now.
1. I procrastinate posting on my blog. I’m doing well this week–this week I’m blogging, and using THAT as an excuse to procrastinate other things–but I go through periods where actually sitting down to write a post seems like torture because my brain is empty of thought.
2. I procrastinate my business paperwork. Doing the finances, crunching the numbers, filing the receipts. I wait until there’s a big hairy pile on my desk, and then finally get down to it. It’s always less painful than I think it will be, and yet more painful than it would have been if I had done it when it first needed doing.
Your turn. Either post it in comments, or on your blog and give me the auto-link here. What are you currently putting off doing?
Ummm, where to begin?!!! Filing, that’s the number one on my list, sooo many papers to sort through and find a home for. I imagine one day the huge pile jumping up and suffocating me under the mass!
Comment by Ann — August 11, 2006 @ 3:42 am
Heather, it was so nice to see you and your husband and the lovely bean. I wish I had the 4 hours you had with Caryn, but I’ll take what I can get. Also, thanks for not posting the picture you took with us. I notice as you drove away that Cutie had smeared her chocolate chip cookie all over my shoulder, and I had grape soda splashed across the front of my shirt (not to mention my undone hair and make-up-less face). I certainly don’t want these blogging people to know the real me.
Speaking the real me, I always procrastinate fixing my hair and putting on my make-up. Other urgent things seem to take me away. I’m lucky to get an uninterrupted shower.
Comment by abc momma — August 11, 2006 @ 9:08 am
Aww, thanks for the sweet comments! I had a blast meeting you, too. I couldn’t believe how fast the time went. The only reason the ending seemed abrupt was because we were absorbed in conversation–better than trying to think of something to say.
Anyway, you mentioned you had an appointment at that time. And I didn’t mind Bean’s display, either. I figure it’s part of having a kid that age. I really will try to blog about our meeting, but I’m so bad about that sort of thing. I still haven’t blogged about meeting up with Jess from Riley’s Ramblings, and that happened ages ago.
Comment by Caryn — August 11, 2006 @ 9:18 am
Ack!
Comment by abc momma — August 11, 2006 @ 11:38 am
Well you took my nifty answer. What I procrastinate most is blogging. I always want to. I’m happy when I do. It’s just hard to sit down at the computer and actually do it. Especially over the summer, because I LIVE for comments and lately either no one loves me anymore or everyone is on vacation. I was so excited about my CARS post, but only 9 people commented. NINE and most of you were relatives (who basically HAVE to read my stuff), so you can see that I’m sadly lacking on motivation. Oh well.
Comment by grammyelin — August 11, 2006 @ 4:43 pm
Okay, I did it! Before I put it off so long I either forgot about it or felt awkward about posting it, I wrote about our get-together. Actually, I wrote about meeting both you and Jess–more about meeting Jess, because you did such a good job of detailing our meeting. Okay, mostly I wrote about salad, to be honest. I don’t stay on a topic very well, as you may have noticed.
Comment by Caryn — August 11, 2006 @ 10:46 pm
I’m so jealous of all the people you got to hang out with, mainly Caryn and Brooke since I got to hang out with everyone else you listed.
Mine’s up.
Comment by Kathryn, DYM — August 11, 2006 @ 11:09 pm
Can I say Ack! too? I thought that looked fun. The button says “Say It!” so I’m gunna say it.
Ack!
Comment by The Lazy Organizer — August 12, 2006 @ 9:22 am
My mom sent me 3 boxes of her hand-me-downs (I love her clothes) and I’m procrastinating hanging them up. That’s all. LOL What a lame thing! But it’s just one of many.
Comment by Thoroughly Mormon Millie — August 12, 2006 @ 4:43 pm
I was going to come and meet you too, but my kid was sick! Sorry you got there so late! Isn’t Brooke cool?
What I am procrastinating: Going to bed. I am tired. The Husband is totally getting ready for bed. I want to read blogs instead.
PS–I love your “Blog Out” and I’m sad I didn’t think of it first. Everytime I end a post I think “blog out”. I need some sort of cool handle like that so that people with think I am as cool as YOU are. Yeah, that might work….
Comment by emlouisa — August 12, 2006 @ 9:44 pm
Oh, Emily… I didn’t make up “Blog Out.” If only I could take credit for its coolness. Come to think of it, I wonder who did start it? P.S. Love your new blog! It looks divine!
Comment by onewomansworld — August 12, 2006 @ 10:59 pm
I want to give a shout out to my favorite mexican restaurant. It’s a good thing I’m not reading this until Sunday because any other day I might not have been able to resist the urge to run right out for a shredded chicken salad with creamy tomatillo dressing.
Comment by Valarie — August 13, 2006 @ 7:43 am
Love your post about meeting all of your blogging friends and about procrastination.
Comment by Dawn — August 13, 2006 @ 9:09 am
i hopped over here another blog - i can’t remember now which one. i had so many open in firefox!!
i procrastinate on everything unpleasant - like housework and bills etc.
Comment by Janice (5 Minutes for Mom) — August 13, 2006 @ 6:04 pm
How fun to see pictures of your family! Sounds like you had a great trip. Love the mess Bean made at the restaurant. Looks eerily famililar to what my kids can do!
Comment by Gabriela — August 13, 2006 @ 8:58 pm
Oh, what darling pics, Heather. Your entire family… adorable. And it is so fun to enlarge the friends scene when you mirl other bloggers. It makes you see again how utterly big God is by bringing friends from far and wide to really enjoy each others company.
Comment by Shalee — August 14, 2006 @ 12:00 pm
Okay, without even planning it I accidentally answered your meme about what I’ve been procrastinating on. You can find it here. I’ll give you a hint: It has to do with my trip.
Comment by Caryn — August 14, 2006 @ 7:16 pm
my procrastination admission is posted
Comment by Tess — August 15, 2006 @ 7:02 am