I think I love New York more for what it represents than what it is. It’s where I went for spring break in law school. It’s where I landed within hours of taking the bar exam. It’s where I went AWOL while deployed to Andrews AFB, MD to get away from a jackass supervisor. So when the opportunity to go back for BlogHer came up, I was all over it.
My first objective was to see my friend since the 3rd grade, Jeremy. While entering his building, we ran into his downstairs neighbor.
Jeremy: “Mr Thompkins, this is Michael. I’ve known him since I was 8.”
I love that I know people who can say that. More than chicken wings.
My next objective was to replace the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever owned: the black Campers I bought in SoHo in 2004.
Done.
Then, it was dinner near Jeremy’s place in the West Village and off to his friend’s art exhibit.
It was naked chicks with bloody faces and bloody girlie parts. I think the message was that the forced nudity of women is like violence against women. Or that chicks who get naked bleed a lot, since they don’t have layers between their skin and the rough edges one encounters when doing womanly things. Yes, that’s it.
An exhibit about women and art was a great preface to a conference I was slated to attend a couple days later. Inspired, I made my own art. See how artsy I am?
Jeremy had to shoot at 8 the next morning, so we returned to his apartment around midnight. I decided I must go back out. And out I went.
My work wife was in town that day, and I figured some of the nocturnal BlogHer attenders would be, too. Within the hour, five of us were at a bar somewhere near the Hilton. We stayed out til sunrise.
The next day I went by the MOMA for some more questionable art, like this boat of purple penises:
I had to twitpic this thing and ask for an explanation. The best response was “Barney’s pubes?” Yes. Barney’s pubes.
That night, I attended a small party at the Ralph Lauren headquarters and met Ralph’s son, who’s an executive in charge of some stuff and told interesting stories about how his father started this company that sells lots of great clothes, a few of which I purchased just a few days prior!
See how sophisticated I look?
Afterward, I went to the Peoples Party, where, just like last year, I spent the bulk of the evening in the ladies’ room with Jenny and friends (after finally meeting this lady’s husband).
A bunch of us went out to a nearby Irish pub, where feelings of affection for the female blogging community further blossomed.
The next day, I attended a session or two, received a nice poem from a woman at a pink typewriter, attended the Aiming Low party, and then had drinks in SoHo with a few old and new Twitter friends.
Then a bunch of us ended up at a karaoke bar where I lost my voice for the next 4 days. There are videos. I’m not going to link to them. Ah, screw it…yes, I will.
At some point, I finally met Faiqa, whom I greatly enjoyed getting to know, until she declared all over Twitter that I have “serial killer glasses.”
I met my attorney blogging friend, and I actually had a couple kind folks seek ME out to say “hi!”
I spoke to a couple Atlanta blogging friends whom I never seem to see except when we’re out of town.
I attended more sessions Friday (sitting by one of my favorite persons online), met a couple dad bloggers (the latter taking a tremendous amount of coaxing to come up to the Hilton, as he wasn’t attending the conference but lives in town) I’ve wanted to meet for a while, had dinner with my childhood friend and his sister, and then attended Sparklecorn, where the pictures indicate I danced during a song or two.
After the Cheeseburgher party that followed, a bunch of us hung out in somebody’s hotel room until my usual bedtime of 4.
I caught up with my favorite resident of the United Kingdom.
And most importantly, I spoke at length with a young boy’s mom named Chrissie who inspired a run and a fundraiser.
And she tearfully thanked me for supporting BHJ’s run for her son. At which point I realized: maybe the blogging thing is more than silly stories, sleepless nights, and shitty iphone pictures. Maybe…just maybe…it’s changing lives.
You were at BlogHer?
@britt, Sometimes. Missed you this year…you were all corporate and sought after, it seemed, every day/night. In San Diego, we should skip all the sessions and just surf all day with Pet Cobra.
We hung out a lot, but somehow managed not to get any pictures together. I’m going to blame you for that.
@avitable, That’s because you only got pictures with pretty women, and I didn’t take any pictures that included me. So, yeah, no pics of the two of us together. But we’ll always have our memories, right?
I never thought of them that way before, but they are a little like serial killer glasses.
@susan, Now you’re just pissing me off.
Bloody nekkid chicks are totally hot. I’m surprised you missed that artistic interpretation.
@Grant, Not when you have to clean up the blood. Wait. I didn’t write that. Time to get new glasses.
Attorney bloggers for the win.
@daisy, We always win, don’t we?
Dude. Once she said it, you know it’s true. You wear serial killer glasses.
Was fun meeting you dude. I’m allowed to say dude, cuz I’m from California, and that’s how these things work.
@Miss Grace, Remember when we used to be friends? Neither do I.
It doesn’t hurt as much to know that it was a recycled cut-down that you used it on me.
Also, it’s not like I said you *were* a serial killer. I just said, you know, your glasses looked like… oh, I’m just going to stop apologizing and hope that all that partying you did will somehow affect your memory over time.
Loved meeting you. My girl parts are bleeding but it doesn’t make me feel arty. That’s probably more information than I should share with someone I’ve spent less than seven minutes with. Oh well.
@Elly, That is SIGNIFICANTLY more information than you should have shared.
It was great meeting you in NY. Also? Nice moves.
@thenextmartha, I agree. And, thanks! I don’t get a chance to practice as much as I used to.
It was cool sharing a dance floor while meeting you. Also, that probably will not happen again. Unless Britt makes me of course…
@hockeymandad, What if I ask real nicely? C’mon…you don’t need her encouragement to dance with me!
If I had known that the real party was in the ladies room on Thursday night, I would have been there instead of walking around by myself feeling sad and small and stupid. I heard a rumor, but I didn’t believe it. In BlogLand, it’s all true I guess.
Where was that Barney thing in the MOMA? Was there on Sunday and totally missed that.
@BBM, Sorry…she does it every year. You’ll know for next year. Re: Barney’s pubes, I don’t recall exactly where it was…I think 2nd floor. It was traumatizing.
So very glad you had a great time, hon! But, to be honest, I was hoping for a picture of you having a Carrie-Bradshaw-in-a-white-tutu-with-a-bus-spraying-a-puddle-on-the-tutu moment.
Sigh.
@CMG, Ha! I wish I had such a photo, as clearly I need one now.
Dude! So excited to see a picture of my lighter on here! 🙂 It was great meeting you!
@loukia, It was a great prop, and likewise!
I enjoyed getting to know you, as well. I’m ignoring the rest of the sentence.
@faiqa, Thanks for your restraint.
eh, ok, I’ll be a dork. I love your business card even though I can’t quite recall how I got it… Probably had something to do with the five vodka shots I had thirty minutes into Sparklecorn. I mean, the memory loss, not the getting the card part… Don’t worry: I found it in my pocket book and not in any other *cough cough* place… You are funny. Just in case nobody has ever told you that.
@subWow, Glad you liked it and that we met. Thanks!
It was great seeing you again! Next time, you better bring Deb.
Also? You rock the karaoke like none I’ve ever seen before. I had so much fun!
@sam, Good to see you again this year! I’m working on talking her into going back to Cali…we’ll see. And thanks for the compliment!
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