What Else Would This Post Be About?

Next time there's a blogger meetup I'm coming in jeans and sneakers. I'm just not cut out for standing in kitten heels for 4 hours. My feet feel like they're the only part of me that got to go to Disney World. Oh Boo Hoo. Big Baby.

Yes, I went to the WKRN-sponsored blogger meet-up, hosted by Brittney and Adam. I know if you were there you know exactly how fun it was, and if you weren't there you probably aren't interested in reading my less-than-riveting account of a cocktail party. If you were there under duress acccompanying a loved-one you are probably owed a fancy date for your troubles. Cookie, SugarMomma and Hubby, I'm looking at you. But I'm gonna go for the gusto anyway.

(This post is dedicated to all of our absent comrades. You were missed. Each and every one of you. But if I try to list them all, I'll miss someone and feelings will be hurt. Just off the top of my head, though, and without links: Ivy, Sharon, Malia, Pink Kitty--Girl!!! Get that house closed on already. Feh on the Evil Bureaucracy!--,Large Red & Yellow Michael, John H. ...folks, I missed you. Oh, and Dwayne from "chip talks" still gets to pull my hair for unintentionally dissing him at Mothership.)

Hubby, valiant as ever, drove us into the big city. We parked in the church parking lot, from whence I tried to track down any late-comers who also happen to work in the vicinity. No luck, so it was Hubby and I earlier than we planned. We took the elevator up to the 3rd floor of the GEC Cone, only to have the bartender look at us with shock and surprise. Always a great thing for shy people, but it was my fault for being early so it was back down again and out into the late-afternoon on Lower Broad. You know what I just realised? We locals call that tourist spot 'Lower Broad', meaning the lower part of Broadway. Yet 'Lower Broad' could also be a sort of sexual thing when you think about it. So maybe there's some subliminal Nashville/Freudianism that has made us locate all the major fun activities on Lower Broad. But I digress. (And I also look like an idiot for referring to things like the Charlie Daniels Gift Shop as a 'major fun activity'.)

Poor John I. Carney! There he was walking along the sidewalk minding his own business and then this strange woman he has never seen in his life shouts "I think we're going to the same place!" Great Scot, I about killed a man right there in front of Merchant's. Once he recovered from the shock of being picked up on a street corner, we exchanged pleasantries (he met my much less frightening spouse) and headed back toward the GEC. At which point he was yelled at by yet another strange woman from her car. Okay. You have to admit this is fun. Right there in the heart of Tourist Town, here we are--a bunch of people who know each other. It made me feel like I was in a Spike Lee Joint or a Scorsese film where everyone knows everyone else. That's kinda cool. It would have even been cooler if I'd heard Gunner yelling at me as well. Which he was, but I was apparently too deaf to notice. Don't worry. We made nice inside the GEC, until he exploited my intense fear of heights for his own wicked amusement.

Okay, narrartor, get your main characters into the building....

So there we are, standing in the lobby waiting for Feline Little Britches to walk in, and along comes this other lady. She looked like she might be a blogger. I say that only because the building was closed and so why else would she be there? And so I had the pleasure of FINALLY meeting Sista Smiff in the flesh. Us gals got to chat as folks started to trickle in. Gunner's lovely wife, Harelip Frog is much nicer than her spouse, because she never tried to make me look at the cracks in the floor. I missed hearing the story of the Harelip Frog, but I undertand AOL is to blame. I also understand that the actual Harelip Frog will be at the next blog meeting.

The trickle of people became a flood, and here's where it all gets hazy in my excitement of meeting new people and greeting old friends. So we're switching to brevity mode. (sorry El Dude-a-rino).

Michelle, who I just love, had the same earrings on as I. So I bitch-slapped her and dumped a bucket of pig's blood over her head, at which point she went nuts and killed us all with flying chairs. NO, actually we just laughed. They're great earrings, and proof that both of us have good taste and shop at Goody's.

Kathy T. was there, and just as fun as I remembered. She is so funny and just cracks me up. She is the "mom of 2 spoiled kids", but unfortunately she now has to be my mom too since I've asked her to not let me space on the next Mid-Tenn thing. As if I'm not an adult. I'm such a spaz. But really, I just want her to email me. ;-p

Shauna was able to be there, which I hope she enjoyed--it sounded like she had a rough day. She is such a gentle, sweet person and I was really pleased that I got to meet her.

Sarcastro showed up. As you knew he would. I really don't think he was serious about crashing the Sedley Alley memorial. But with him you never know. He did bring Sugar Momma, though, which was great. I finally got to meet the famous lady! Hubby said he tried to help her with the perils of being in a relationship with a blogger. Perils? Who knew?

CeeElCee arrived in a dress shirt and tie. This is the second time we've been in one another's airspace. Last time he was in shorts. I don't know if I want to meet up with him again...I'm afraid next time he'll be in a tux. Any man under the influence of David Blaine is to be feared.

(Remember when I said this was the brief part? It really is. Hang on. Or just skip forward to your name or the names of those you are crushing on...)

Lindsay Ferrier AKA "The Non-WKRN Professional Blogger" was a pleasure to meet. We talked a bit about the Mommy Blog, the Poli-Blog and the dreaded pigeonholing of all blogs in general. Let a blog stand on its own merits! Free the Blog!

Busy Mom was standing next to Lindsay and me as we dissected Mommy Blogging. But she only had her street name on her Himynameis, so it took me forEVER before I clued in and realised that it was she, my valiant comrade-in-arms. She and I both write for Metroblog Nashville, and have the distinction of being the Metroblog Den Mothers.

Todd A was true to his word and brought the FREAKING PECULIAR Nemesis Boy. Just to clarify...Todd A is not peculiar. He is very nice, and a very good writer. Please read his books. Nemboy, on the other hand, showed up in a Darth Vader helmet. Which was a unique way to preserve his identity. He did hand out "Let's Make WKRN Cool Again" flyers which made me laugh. I think maybe the dude is trying for some performance art degree at Nossi or Watkins. But he left when he decided that he was "too punk rock" for our party. Sadly, and yet ironically, that meant that he missed my rendition of Patti Smith's Break It Up.

Chris and Amanda were there, of course. You know what's shocking? The realisation that I have seen Chris and Amanda more in the last six months than I've seen my own sister. And I fight a lot more with Chris and Amanda. Maybe that says something about my personality...

Kate O'Neil, another of my Metblog cronies was there, too. I love her spirit and the stuff she writes, and it was SO fun to finally see her in person. And in Monkey Wear! I love all things Monkey! For the Monkeywear I shall forgive the lovely Ms. O'Neil her "nashvegas" usage.

JAG was there, and in the next best thing to MonkeyWear. A Michigan T-Shirt. For a homesick ol' Indiana girl, reminders of Michigan are the next best thing to home. And of course we had to get all caught up on our mutual family. That was a conversation that got some stares. Hey, folks. Whatever gets you thru, okay? ;-p

Roger was there. I love that Roger was there, because I think he's fun to talk to. (For the record, I don't think Jonah was a myth, but I do think the 'big fish' was actually a type of shark as opposed to a whale. Although I've heard a case being made for the 'three days in a big fish' being a foreshadowing of the death and resurrection of Christ.) Roger and I both love Harry Potter and Disney World and we both maintain a bizarre fixation with politics that might actually be unhealty. So yeah, I had fun talking with him.

Blake and I were able to chat briefly, which was just long enough for me to star-struckedly (?!?struckedly?!?) tell him yet again how much I love the vlogs.

Rex Hammock--THE REX HAMMOCK!!!--and I got to talk about Macs. That made me very happy! I've been reading Rex's stuff for years. And of course when I finally met him face to face I completely forgot to say this. I'm a dweeb.

Speaking of REX, you know what made my night? Well, a couple of things, to tell the truth. But the first thing was being able to actually meet the man who calls himself Rex L. Camino. Rex is the only blogger who makes me laugh out loud with every thing he writes. I love his stuff, and meeting him was such a highlight.

Bob Krumm was another big moment for me. I think the world of him, and have been wanting to meet him for over a year now. You know, any man who admires Reagan and Thatcher as much as I do is just right at the top of my list of cool people. Although I think I can definitely confirm after tonight that Bob admires Margaret a little bit more than I do.

Short & Fat is another guy that I just think the world of. And of course we had to talk about politicians. You know. Massengill. Berry. Dingle. Krumm. All those guys. ;-p And yes, I AM childish.

Huck both pleased and delighted me by being there and NOT being in clown makeup.

Rachel was there, and we spoke very briefly. I'm a bit sad that I didn't get to talk with her longer.

Mary Mancini was there. Under an assumed identity that initially left me bewildered. We have a couple of mutual acquaintances, and talked radio for a bit. I hope she is right that Radio Free Nashville will soon be able to be heard IN Nashville.

TV ON The Fritz! I got to meet him, too. After a year of stalking his blog and a month of bemoaning its hiatus, it was so cool to give him a hug. Even though he kept staring at me. I don't know what he expected, but I don't think I turned out to be what he envisioned. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. And you know what? I think I may yet talk him into knitting. Knitting is good for you. All of you.

My husband will be thrilled about this one. Yes. I met the lovely Sheila of Threaded Bliss Yarns. I confessed to her and TV (and to them ONLY) just how much money I have invested in yummy silk and mohair and egyptian cotton yarn--all skeins laying dormant in the guest room closet. It's embarrassing. But I did learn a new word for this. Sable. Stash accumulated beyond life expectancy. Truer words were never spoken. Ever. But you know that after two minutes with Sheila I so badly wished that I had a little sock UFO tucked in my purse for a quick knit fix. I am such an addict. And Sheila is SO cool. If I'm not here, I'm coming down with TB. Threaded Bliss.

Brittney was a wonderful hostess, and I think she got to meet with everyone. I enjoyed getting to talk to her about dogs, and can't wait to meet Tootie in person. I did meet The Boyfriend in person, which was really neat. I kind of feared this, to be honest, considering that he's the person I fight with almost as much as I fight with Chris. Yet he was so nice and friendly my fears were groundless. Toward the end of the evening when the crowd thinned out we and a few others chatted dogs and bikes. And East Nashville dining, then Nashville dining in general. More on that tomorrow at Metblog. Cause I need to get something up at Metblog.

Kleinheider. Yes. I finally met him in person. The blow was softened by seeing his picture ahead of time and knowing whom to expect. I never realised he had such blue eyes. What is it with bloggers and blue eyes? Between ACK (sorry, dude, I've linked you twice already...) and Tiny Cat Pants and Dr. F, I feel like I'm at a Recessive Gene Convention. ACK is another person I've wanted to meet for a year, and I'm so glad that we finally did meet. Although I stick by my definition of Nashville Metroblog in the face of his stubbornness.

The other big treat? (Yes, it was a fun night!)

Newscoma and Squirrels On Snark made it to the festivities! I was really pumped when I read that they were heading this way and just tickled at the thought of getting some face time. We had some of the best conversations, and I think (yet again thrilling my husband) that I'm now about to dive into Dark Tower on NC's recommendation.

I did also get to briefly meet Gandalf Mantooth, which was cool. (I need to find his link, don't I?) I actually met him twice, but the first time he refused to tell me his name. It was so traumatic.

As I sit here I realise that I've been typing forever, and things are starting to blur in my mind a bit. I have this terrible feeling that I've forgotten at least one great interaction and conversation. I'm kicking myself. And when I remember it, I'll add it in. And if you're the person I've forgotten, you can pull my hair along with Dwayne and the next MidTennMeetup.