"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. " -Helen Keller
BlogHer Bound scroll to the bottom to listen to the original
I'm sitting at my computer station.
Gotta get a ticket to my destination.
Checking out my facebook fans my laptop and iPhone in hand.
Finally, finally the trip is planned for this wordsmith, ain't life grand.
BlogHer bound,
I wish I was,
BlogHer bound,
BlogHer where my thought's escaping,
BlogHer where all the tweets are singing,
BlogHer where my friends are waiting
Impatiently for me.
Ev'ry day's an endless stream
Of tweets and pins and online zines.
And no blogs look the same to me, ingenuity despite the memes
And ev'ry friend I've never met reminds me that I long to be,
BlogHer bound,
I wish I was,
BlogHer bound,
BlogHer where my thought's escaping,
BlogHer where all the tweets are singing,
BlogHer where my friends are waiting
Impatiently for me.
Tonight I'll write a post again,
I'll play the game and pretend.
But all my words come back to me in shades of mediocrity
For writer's block attacks me, I need someone to inspire me.
BlogHer bound,
I wish I was,
BlogHer bound,
BlogHer where my thought's escaping,
BlogHer where all the tweets are singing,
BlogHer where my friends are waiting
Impatiently for me.
Impatiently for me.
I'm wiped out...cried more today and last night than I have in a while. Seriously sucks having to take a beloved pet to be cremated.
It's hardest when it's quiet. Joey dealt pretty well all day but, when night hit and the house quieted, the tears started to fall. He is so broken up about losing Butterball and it kills me that I can't make it better. I just hold him, stroke his back, cry with him, and talk.
Remember that post about which glasses I should chose? I didn't get any of them. That's right. I went through all 1900+ pairs of glasses on the Zenni Optical site (LOVE Zenni) and didn't get any of them.
I didn't get any of them because I scored 2 free pairs of glasses. The first pair was through an open facebook deal from Coastal.com All I paid for was shipping and handling. Their s&h cost as much as the glasses from Zenni would have cost but they will be here in time for BlogHer.
I'll tell you a little more about the other glasses soon. If you want to see the frames I picked from check out this pic.
In case I haven't mentioned it...I'M GOING TO BLOGHER12 IN NYC NEXT WEEK.
I'm more than a little excited and a lot overwhelmed with everything I have left to do. Since the productivity of yesterday and today were shot to hell by the sudden loss of Butterball, I haven't dyed my hair. I haven't finished my crochet project. I haven't packed anything. I haven't been to the AT&T store to get a sim card for my beautiful new phone.
Despite all this, I'm counting the days and hours until I leave. My soul will be fed by the very nature of this trip. I get to spend time with women I love learning about things I adore and that's just the conference. There are also parties and sightseeing and meals with friends and big metal chickens. I really need this.
Speaking of phones, I NEED CONTACT INFO. If I've ever texted you, exchanged info with you, or you think I need to do one of those things, please email me your contact info (cell #, blog url, email addy, even your home phone # and addy if you want). Send the email to cruzowlpost at att dot net
Remember me telling you about Beanis and his trip to BlogHer? Well, my willingness to parade around BlogHer with a giant crocheted penis has paid dividends in more than one way. First, I got to meet all kinds of fabulous people thanks to Beanis. Second, I've had the chance to make some money. And, third, I've had the delightful opportunity to embarrass the crap out of my children.
I can feel the jealousy rolling off those of you with kids. I know...how lucky can I get to make a little cash and embarrass my kids at the same time. Yeah, you guessed it. I'm making more Beanises. I got an order in early December for a Beanis. That one went in the mail to the great white North (Canada) right before Christmas. Now, I'm working on my second commissioned Beanis. It's so much fun watching my boys (especially Marty) squirm and beg for it to disappear every time I bring our Beanis to work on him,
Since I know y'all have to be dying to see my last Beanis, here he is in all his glory...the Gay Pride Rainbow Beanis
She's the lucky winner of a bunch of new toys with comment #32.
You know, I just realized that I never finished all my BlogHer '11 posts and one of the most important posts I hadn't put up is this one right here...a giveaway and the story of the EdenFantasys BlogHer '11 party. The EdenFantasys party is truly unique. Yes, there was one other adult toy company that hosted a party at BlogHer but the EdenFantasys party was the only party that offered arts and crafts with adult toys. Yup, that's right. At the EdenFantasys party you got to decorate a dildo (or 2). If you've never decorated adult toys, you are truly missing out on a hella good time.
You'd be laughing your ass off if you had been in my living room last night. I finally got the swag I shipped home from BlogHer and was busy sorting through it. It looked like the Expo hall exploded in my living room. While I was sorting through it, I was thinking about my time at BlogHer and the myriad of different posts I've read about the conference. I've read posts from women who didn't attend a single session but went to parties and events and other things. I've read posts from women who spent their time trolling the Expo hall with their friends. I've read posts from people who found a happy medium between all the competing demands on their attention. Each and every one of them has ended up having a fabulous time.
For me, BlogHer is about so much more than the swag. Don't get me wrong. I like the swag. I git some really cool stuff and many of the vendors and sponsors were kind enough to let me grad some extras for my friend Rys (who couldn't go this year). And, I met some truly fabulous people who were at BlogHer representing their companies...the charming and lovely CEO of Smarties, the amazing people at the Hallmark booth who had the coolest shirts, the fab people at the Pressman Toy booth who swear they remember me from last year, and all the gracious sponsors at the Cheap Sally Party. But, truth be told, the swag I got was just the frosting on the cake of an amazing conference.
The best part of the conference for me is the people. I got to travel with my wonderful friends Kristi and Jennifer. The conference began for me when I saw and hugged Mel (so sweet and unassuming and truly wonderful). I saw Eden again (I don't think she knows just how much she rocks my world) and met the fantabulous Mrs. Woog. I got a big hug from Deb Rox and Kim and the Next Martha. I saw *CalliopeDresden (who is one of my heroes) and finally met the dear Stacie (another person who doesn't realize how wonderful she is). I also made a friend for life in the unbelievably rockin' Shauna. I know there were tons of other people too and I humbly beg your forgiveness if I didn't mention you.
And, the sessions and the keynotes and the Voices of the year...OMG, they were truly amazing. I was inspired and impressed and I laughed and cried. I can't even begin to summarize how wonderful these were and am just going to tell you to go check out the BlogHer '11 Virtual Conference.
As long as I have the people (even the sponsors and reps) and the sessions, I can live without the swag. I feel like a learned and grew so much. Now, if I can only figure out how to double the hours in the day while at BlogHer'12, I'll finally have enough time to hang with my favorite people and just bask in their presence.
Do y'all remember way back when I showed you the pictures of Beanis? Well, Beanis was made for my dear friend, Becky. The only problem was I kept forgetting to take Beanis to the post office. So, I was thrilled to hear Becky was going to BlogHer too. Problem solved...I could take Beanis to BlogHer with me. So, when I was packing for San Diego, Beanis went into my carry on bag. When we headed to the airport on Thursday morning, I was holding onto a secret wish.I was secretly hoping the TSA agents would search my carry on bags and I would get to look them in the face and say, "Yes sir, yes ma'am, that is a crocheted penis in my backpack." Sadly, my wish was not fulfilled.
Once we got to the conference, Beanis relaxed around the room and took in the sights. Beanis didn't come out to play until we headed for the parties. I was hoping to run into Becky at one of the parties so I just carried Beanis with me. I kind of figured Beanis would get attention but I vastly underestimated just how much attention he would get. I seriously could not walk 5 feet without someone saying, "OMG, is that what I think it is? Can I hold it? Can I touch it? Can I take a picture of it/with it?" I have Beanis to thank for meeting more people and giving away more business cards than ever before.
Beanis came out to play at the People's Party. Sadly, there was only time for a few guest shots but Beanis did get to meet the Hostess with the Mostess, the Bloggess. As I learned last year, she isn't big on crowds so she hangs out in the closest bathroom while the party she hosts is going on. So I took
Beanis to the makeshift bathroom that had been constructed in the ballroom and Beanis met the Bloggess. As you can see, Beanis looked quite content and secure in her loving embrace.
After we left the People's Party, we headed straight over to Queerosphere. The party was already hopping and there were fabulous people and fabulous drag queens everywhere. As Beanis entered the party, someone shrieked, "I've seen pictures of him already!" WTF, Beanis's reputation must be moving at light speed. Beanis got unbelievable action at Queerosphere and it's only fitting since he was a kick ass crocheted penis at a truly amazing party.
Beanis was one tired penis by the end of Queerosphere. He was more than happy to go back to our room and get a good night's sleep.
I was a little jealous that Beanis got to stay in the room and rest while I hit the fabulous sessions on Friday and Beanis was a little pissed off that I wouldn't take him to the Cheap Sally Party at the Stingaree on Friday night. I tried to tell him that he didn't have an invitation but he didn't seem to give a shit. However, Beanis was definitely mollified when we took him to the EdenFantasys party. There are pictures of him there but I haven't gotten a hold of them yet. Sadly, I think Beanis developed a bit of a superiority complex at the EdenFantasys party. He saw how much bigger he was than the dildos we were decorating and there was no living with him after that. After the EdenFantasys party, we headed straight to Sparklecorn. Beanis dressed up for the party...
he had a beer...
and took pictures with a few pretty women...
and then Beanis and the crew headed to our room for bed.
Come back tomorrow for the rest of BlogHer with Beanis and maybe my wrap up too.
I woke up at about 7 am on Thursday. Excitement rushed through me and it felt like I just couldn't sit still. Not only was I going to BlogHer again but I was traveling with two of my YaYas, my best friends, my sisters by choice. I had managed to convince Jennifer and Kristi that BlogHer in San Diego sounded like a wonderful way to spend their vacation. Our trip from NC to San Diego was completely trouble free.
Planes loaded and took off on time. Turbulence was minimal.
Jennifer and Kristi - 2 of my YaYas
And, our flight attendant gave us free cookies. also, despite my camera issues (briefly mentioned in my Back to Reality post), I got some phenomenal photographs out the plane window on the way to San Diego...
We were picked up from the airport by my twitter hook-up. Yes,twitter hook-up. I went trolling for a 4th for our room at BlogHer and found the incomparable Shauna who writes Cooking in the Burbs and can be found on twitter as @cookingnburbs. I couldn't have found a better 4th for our room if I had picked from people I've known forever. Shauna fit in with us perfectly. We got the the Marriott and discovered we had this view from our room...
And, San Diego, oh my God is it ever gorgeous. The weather is fabulous. The sites are amazing. I even got to see a gorgeous hibiscus and I haven't seen a really pretty one since I moved away from Hawaii.
I could live there if I hadn't sworn that I would never, ever move again.
Before we started the full BlogHer experience, our whole group went out to dinner with a friend of mine from college, Dr. Dr. Mike Wilson.
sorry about the sucky picture, my cell phone camera obviously likes taking pictres from planes better than indoor shots
I met Mike during freshmen year at Duke and it's completely his fault I joined the Rescue Squad and became a paramedic. Mike is a truly fabulous friend and it was nice to know that the three of us (me, Kristi, and Jennifer) could still make him blush in about 10 seconds flat.
Jennifer, Dr. Dr. Mike, Kristi, and Me
We laughed, traded stories, caught up with each other, and, I think we were entertaining enough that we didn't bore Shauna to tears. Honestly, with company that fabulous, I would have been happy eating anywhere which made our dinner at The Fish Market a true bonus.
yum, yum The Fish Market's famous Dungeness Crab Cioppino
After dinner, we drove over to Coronado and were lucky enough to watch the fireworks over Sea World from the beach on Coronado. Sadly, it was soon time for us to head back to the hotel so Mike could grab his car and head out...he said something about being on call (ER duty) that night.
When we got back to the Marriott, we ended up parking under the North Tower (a truly serendipitous occurrence since the parties were right upstairs). As we headed for the elevator, we stumbled onto one of the hidden treasures of the Marriott...an unlocked storeroom with a giant wooden clown in it. By that point at night, we were all a little punchy. Weeeellllll, at least us three east coasters were punchy, I'm not sure what Shauna's excuse was. We decided we simply HAD to pose with the clown and trooped on into the storeroom.
While we were laughing and giggling and taking pictures, we got busted by a Marriott employee. Luckily for us, she was in a good mood and just rolled her eyes and laughed at us. It wouldn't have been good for Dr. Dr. Mike's reputation to get in trouble right before he had to be on call for the local ER. Once the clown induced photo session ended, Mike headed back to his car and we headed upstairs to the parties. My only regret about the first part of our evening is that Mike's lovely wife had a previous commitment and couldn't join us for dinner.
Our first day away was capped off by the incomparable People's Party and the truly fabulous Queerosphere. We only had a very short time at the People's Party but we did get to see the Bloggess and I got her picture with my crocheted traveling companion (more about that tomorrow). Once the brief photo shoot with the Bloggess was over, we headed over to the fabulousness that is Queerosphere. Deb Rox did a truly amazing job again this year. The drag queens were over the top fabulous, the entertainment was awesome, the emcee was rocking her heels, and my crocheted one eye wonder had his picture taken about a million times.
The Fabulous Regina Styles emceeing at Queerosphere
Queerosphere has a permanent place on my BlogHer agenda.
Come back tomorrow to read about BlogHer with Beanis: Day 1.
My body hurts. I walked and walked and walked some more. I think I turned into a swag whore because it cost a scary amount to ship it home (can't WAIT for it to get here) and my arms still ache from toting it all. I'm bummed because my pictures sort of suck (damn that cell phone camera) but I'm so excited because I got interviewed by an Australian news crew and made the news report (OMG....squeeeeeeeeee!). I didn't get all the pictures I wanted but Beanis (remember him) was in more pictures than just about anything or anyone else this weekend (I couldn't walk more than 2 feet without people wanting to see or hold or take pictures of him). I saw old friends and really old friends. I met people I have loved and admired from afar. I missed out on meeting other people I desperately wanted to see but was remembered and called by name by others I wasn't sure would remember me (thanks Chef Jill). I was inspired by the sessions I went to...can I please grow up to be like the ladies who won the International Activist Scholarships or maybe the fabulous ladies who led the discussion about Owning Your Beauty: If We Change The Conversation, Can We Change The Culture? I got to travel and spend the weekend with two of my best friends ever (Kristi and Jen, I love you) and our twitter hookup roomie, Shauna, fit in perfectly. She's definitely a member of the inner circle and I miss her already. I went to incredible parties, slept too little, and am totally off schedule. BlogHer '11 kicked my ass and made me very happy. I have swollen feet and a light heart and I would do it all again...hopefully next year in New York!
I promise I'll try to have a more coherent post about all the fun soon. My brain is still to fired to think straight.
Greetings! I am excited to be guest posting here today while Kristin is living it upBlogHer '11!I'm Kathy from Four of a Kind (formerly Three of a kind working on a full house...) and I write about my family's five year journey through secondary infertility and loss, as well as parenting and life since then. I wish I was with Kristin and so many other awesome bloggers in San Diego right now, but since that was not to be this year, I was honored when Kristin asked me to write something here on Dragondreamer's Liar.
Last weekend I had a really bad day in my little corner of the IT world, as I shared about in this post. It took a few kind and clever guys from iYogi tech support in India, a few hours of my life and a lot of "good karma" to help me get our home computers running well again. Late last Sunday night, while I was watching one of the iYogi tech support staff work his magic, as he remotely controlled my desktop and laptop computers, I decided to see what was happening on Twitter.
As I scrolled through my Twitter-feed that night I happened to notice an interchange between Kristin (from the wonderful blog you are on right now) and Kym (from The Smartness) and decided to join their conversation... Kym was sharing about it being the last night before she returned to school (she is a teacher) and Kristin had quoted non-other than Soul II Soul's "Back to Life," taunting Kym (with love) about it being time to return to reality! Kym teased Kristin about getting that song stuck in her head and then I proceeded to share some of my favorite Soul II Soul tunes to add to the soundtrack on instant replay spinning around in Kym's head as she tried to wind down on the eve a new school year.
In our tweeting back and forth that night, I asked Kym if she knew of my favorite Soul II Soul song called "Get a Life" (see the lyrics below).
This thing called life know what’s the meaning of the line tell me well it’s like dreaming of your goals , ambitions feeling free achieve what what’s in your minds eye this is what you should gain Satisfaction becomes a shinning example a test of a sample of a new race that has ample supply of positivity you mean flow well like electricity so you see a clear way with no ambiguity don’t you know
Whats the meaning whats the meaning of life whats the meaning whats the meaning of life Elevate your mind free your soul well come on come on feel the feeling let your body take control
Well don’t be afraid to experiment you know umm go ahead you know and implement your ideas your notions put them in motion like the words the funki dreds have spoken to you so listen up loud and clear this is a word you must be aware of What ya gonna do put it in your life tool
and that's the meaning of life Whats the meaning whats the meaning of life whats the meaning whats the meaning of life whats the meaning whats the meaning of life whats the meaning whats the meaning of life And it goes on Elevate your mind free your soul well come on come on feel the feeling let your body take control
So there it is work it out for yourself yeah , be selective be objective be an asset to the collective as you know you have to get a life
Whats the meaning whats the meaning of life whats the meaning whats the meaning of life whats the meaning whats the meaning of life whats the meaning whats the meaning of life elevate your mind free your soul well come on come on feel the feeling let your body take control ah yeah
Kym replied to my tweet by quoting a line from "Get a Life." Then I shared my favorite line from the song, "be selective, be objective, be an asset to the collective." I have always thought that was such an inspiring and profound statement. I have also pondered what it means for me to "be an asset to the collective."
As a blogger, especially in the Adoption, Loss and Infertility (ALI) Community, I believe that there are so many ways and opportunities for me (and all of us) to be an asset to our collective group of those who have found that our journeys to build and/or expand our families have not played out the way the hoped or dreamed that they would.
I am grateful to Kristin and so many other bloggers who have reached out to and supported me on my journey through infertility and loss over the years. Though so much of why I choose to write and share about my life and experiences on my blog is for me, I do really appreciate the chance to receive validation and feedback from others who understand and can relate to what I blog about. I also find it an honor and privilege, as a "wounded healer," to try to reach out to and support others in our "collective."
How about you? What does it mean to you "to be an asset to the collective?" How do you feel that you are an "asset" to our ALI Community and/or the other groups that you are part of and contribute your time, talent and treasure to in your life?
Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts on this post. Thanks again to Kristin for inviting me to be here today. I hope that you are having a wonderful time at BlogHer `11 and can't wait to hear (and read) all about it!
Whether or not you have been over there before, I would love for you to please visit me at my blog Four of a Kind anytime. I really appreciate your comments and feedback on what I wrote here today, as well as on my blog entries over there any day!
I've fallen in love and I've fallen hard. I've found something that inspires lustful feelings and has triggered my acquisitive nature. I love steampunk. I love all aspects of steampunk...the books, the jewelry, the decorative style, even the clothing...and I blame this love affair completely on Jen of Cakewrecks and EPBOT fame. What's steampunk you ask? Courtesy of Google..."Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction and speculative fiction, frequently featuring elements of fantasy, that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. A subgenre of Alternate History; this generally deals with advanced technology in the altered past." One of my friends on Facebook said "Typically, steampunk novels are set in and around Victorian times, but it pretends that electricity never took off and that steam-powered technology took hold. There are all kinds of fantastic gadgets, contraptions, and transport. Sometimes, it crosses over into the paranormal, but not necessarily so. Think "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" and you'll have steampunk. Or that Will Smith movie set in the west with the giant spider robot vehicles." Steampunk is also very much a style of both dress and decoration. Take a look at these pictures.
I first stumbled across steampunk on EPBOT about a year ago...when I was still in recovery from BlogHer '10. Jen put up a post called Jen's Procrastination Station and featured the most amazing secret knock detecting garage door opener
and she posted a picture of the most gorgeous steampunk computer desk
photo from the house tour linked to in the blog
which was a teaser for an entire house decorated in steampunk goodness. Click on that link...go take the virtual tour...you won't regret it. Since then, Jen has posted steampunk jewelry and steampunk gadgets and, the more I see of it, the more I like it. Then, less than a month ago, Jen posted a picture that sent me over the edge. She posted pictures of a steampunk laptop...yes, really, a fully functional HP laptop redone in steampunk finery.
photos via EPBOT and Datamancer
If you want to see bigger, better, more lust inducing pictures check out Datamancer's site. His work is simply stunning and he even sells the kits so you can redo your desktop keyboard in steampunk finery.
Sadly, my favorite examples of steampunk goodness, the laptop and the house, are way beyond my financial means. However, Jen's blog EPBOT offers tutorials and how to's that will satisfy my need to bring steampunk decor into my life. She recently posted a tutorial on how to make your own steampunk goggles and she's promising a tutorial for the ray gun in this picture too...
photo courtesy of Jen/EPBOT and her husband, John
So, do you like the steampunk look? Would you ever consider decorating a room (or more) in that style? Do you think I'm crazy for loving it so much? And, what is something you have developed a deep and abiding love for?
Came down to my parents on Monday so Gabe could join in swimming lessons and Joey could help out with them.
Drove Marty home from my parents' house Tuesday night (got home at 11:30pm) so I could get him to church to leave for his 3 day volunteer trip at 8:15 this morning. The high school and middle school youth groups are doing volunteer work at a Lutheran Services for the Aging facility.
After I dropped him off, I took a moment to go by Joey and Gabe's school to fill out the form to be an approved volunteer again this year.
Did I tell you Marty is going to be in the Naval ROTC program at his high school this year?
OMFG, high school?!?!?! How did that happen?
Gabe is swimming...not very far but he is swimming. Trip to parents' for swimming lessons SUCCESS
Joey has been helping my mom teach swimming this week. He's also helped mow the lawn and clean up a rental house they own. He is definitely earning the moolah my mom promised him.
Need to get home and sew. Have to finish a few things before I leave for BlogHer in a week...eeek, I'm so unprepared.
I leave for BlogHer in a week...squeeeeeeeeeeeeee
I'm traveling to BlogHer with two of my best friends in the whole wide world...can't wait!
While in San Diego, I will get to see one of my best friends from college and meet his wife for the first time.
I miss my husband when I'm not with him. I miss him right now.
I should be in bed but I'm writing this and then I have a book calling my name.
I may need a nap again tomorrow.
What's your week been like...random bullets please!
Hey y'all, if you are any part of the Adoption, Loss, & Infertility community, or if you just wanna meet up with any of us, let's plan to have lunch together. It could just be part of the actual BlogHer lunch. We could share a table or take our lunches out in the lobby. Please (using this link) email me ASAP and we can discuss which day to have it and exchange cell #s so we can text each other if we are running late. I'll also continue the list Mel started here so you can see who is planning to be there.
ALI Bloggers & Friends Going to BlogHer List
(* connotes that they’re not going to the conference but live in the area)
I've been looking forward to the BlogHer'11 since BlogHer10 and I've been planning a comfortable yet stylish wardrobe for this year. I've been searching my closet and have cool but stylish outfits picked out for the day time and a sweet little black dress picked out for the parties. I have my bling all picked out. All I needed were my shoes. Sadly, given that we have to cloth and provide shoes for 3 growing boys, my shoe collection has fallen on hard times. I bought a cute pair of flats to wear on Father's Day and hoped they would work for BlogHer too. I was quickly disabused of that notion. Less than three hours into our day, I started doing that weird shuffle walk that newly forming blisters cause you to do. These beautiful flats from Naturalizer, the Violette,
would solve all my problems. They are super cute and the smooth lining and cushioning insole ensure I'll keep my swagger all conference long.
It's not often a shoe whore aficionado gets a chance to work with a company like Naturalizer and this excites me even more than the chance to wear these shoes. It will be my chance to be a shoe superhero coming to the rescue of all the bloggers with sore feet...a shoe rescue if you will. Maybe I need a cape? Between my laptop, my smartphone, and my ability to talk to anybody and everybody, I will have no trouble finding the bloggers whose feet need pampering. Trading out pinched toes and raw spots for the blissful comfort of a Naturalizer will be my pleasure. Comfy, stylish shoes make me happy. BlogHer makes me happy. Everyone should be able to find my smiling face when they need a shoe rescue!
*This opportunity was presented to me by Naturalizer and the Brown Shoe Company, through MyBlogSpark, and that the post serves as my entry to win a sponsorship for my attendance at the 2011 BlogHer Conference.
Even though BlogHer10 had officially ended on Saturday the 7th, I had one more day. On Sunday morning, we had one last *A.L.I. get together. There were so many wonderful women there. I hesitate to try and name them all because I don't want to leave someone out and upset them. Here are a few of the pics from that get together...
the lovely Dora and her daughter Sunshine sporting her Baby Blogger t the fabulous Calliope and her son W sporting his Baby of the Internets t Mel's back, Tessa's (I think) back, and the amazing Lori Reed with his mom Lori Dora's Sunshine with Aunt Becky and her mommy Dora me, Aunt Becky, and Dora with Sunshine Dora's Sunshine with The Daver
After our A.L.I. get together wrapped up, Dora, Sunshine, and I took off for a little bit of sight seeing. We ate at a nice little hamburger place (loved the onion rings) that I can't remember the name of (what's it called Dora?). and then headed over to wander through FAO Schwartz. When Miss Sunshine started getting tired, Dora headed home for the evening and I hung out until it was time for me to catch a cab to the bus station. Here's teh rest of the day...
one of my favorite New York building pics the doorman at FAO Schwartz Dora wearing a Harry Potter wizard's hat at FAO Schwartz sadly, I didn't notice until now that the straw appears to be going up her nose me wearing the Sorting Hat... which house do you think it put me in?
sailors in New York on the way to the bus saying good bye to the city
