Archive for the ‘BlogHer '07’ Category

  • Wrong hotel, but with celebrity sighting!

    Monday, August 20th, 2007

    I can’t believe I forgot to tell you that when I was in Chicago, I stood just a few feet away from a TV and movie star in the lobby of a hotel! And I was too chicken to say “excuse me, but I am a BIG fan of yours! I watched every episode of ___, and I just saw you in ___ the other day. Gosh, I don’t have any paper, would you autograph, oh, I don’t know, my BOOB?”

    Who did I see? No no, not yet. You have to get the whole story first. See, the city of Chicago has two hotels with the same name-Chicago City Center. The “W” hotel chain had theirs first, and then the Holiday Inn got a new owner or something and changed their name to the same damn thing. I don’t know how that is possible, why there wasn’t a lawsuit or something, but maybe it’s not illegal to call your hotel the same thing as another hotel three blocks away.

    Anyway, so the Thursday that I arrived in Chicago, I had just about 90 minutes before I had to be at speaker training, as did my train companion, Joy and my roommate Dana, so we asked the bellman at our hotel, the “W” Lakeshore, to please get us a cab to the “Chicago City Center”. He hails a cab, and tells the driver to take us to the “Chicago City Center”. I can only assume that because we were coming out of one “W” hotel, the driver assumed we wanted to go to the OTHER “W” hotel, the “W” Chicago City Center.

    So we pulled up to the hotel, Joy paid the driver (she had a nice expense account for the weekend, and THANK YOU AGAIN, Joy) and we walked into the lobby of the “W” Chicago City Center. We had a feeling right away that we were in the wrong place-no people wearing the BlogHer pins, no signs or anything. Joy walked up to the front desk and asked if we were in the right hotel, and was told no. So, terrific. While Joy and Dana were talking to the desk clerk, getting the location of the other City Center hotel, I sort of wandered over to the middle of the lobby. I saw a very large man walking towards me wearing the gold nametag of hotel security, plus two other men walking with him.

    I wasn’t really paying attention to the actual conversation, something about did they enjoy their stay at the hotel, did they enjoy whatever it was they had been doing in Chicago-I was too busy listening to one of the men’s voices and figuring out pretty quickly who he was. His voice is distinctive, plus, when you’ve watched every episode of the TV show he starred on at least half a dozen times, you remember the voice. Now, did I politely interrupt to tell him how much I enjoy his acting? How cute I think he is? Um, no. And I should have! My husband says he probably wouldn’t have minded waiting while I got a piece of hotel stationery for him to sign or something, but I didn’t. I just watched him and his friend walk out of the hotel, and then walked up to the security guard and said “Was that __ ?” And it was!

    Sigh. I could have had him sign SOMETHING, but I chickened out. We could have had a moment, but oh well. At least it made being at the wrong hotel more pleasant for me! And that is the true story of how I saw J. August Richards in Chicago.

    jaugust3.jpg

    13 Comments » Filed under: BlogHer '07, TV Trivia

  • I’m a schmoozer, baby.

    Thursday, August 9th, 2007

    schmooze_award-737766.gif
    If you saw me at BlogHer two weeks ago (it’s been two weeks? I still have a bag I haven’t even unpacked), you would probably agree with my friend Landismom that I have the Power of Schmooze, right? I have never had a problem talking to people, whether I know them or not. At BlogHer I talked to people in the elevator, people waiting for the shuttle bus, people standing in line getting their breakfast, I talked to everybody, I think.But schmoozing is about more than just talking to people, it’s about making connections. The definition of the word according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, is “to chat in a friendly and persuasive manner especially so as to gain favor, business, or connection”. Now, I’m not saying that my intention with every person I spoke to was to only see what they could do for me, but I did meet several people just by striking up casual conversation who turned out to be P.R. reps for various companies. They took my card and asked if I would be interested in receiving free products for review, and I’ve already lined up my first job, reviewing a new DVD series from Discovery Kids and ReadySetLearn!.

    So yes, I did do some schmoozing at BlogHer, and yes, it did gain me some business connections. It also helped me meet a lot of terrific people! Friday morning at breakfast, we stood in two giant circles facing each other, for “speed dating”. I chatted and passed out business cards as fast as I could, and met Jennifer Lawson a/k/a Mama Drama, who I probably would have looked for all weekend and never found! I also got to chat for a moment with Christine Kane, who came as our musical guest for Friday night’s cocktail reception, and gave everyone a copy of her CD in our swag bag. She is so pretty, and so talented! I loved hearing her play live, and I love the CD too.

    So, thanks for the award, Landismom! I now have to bestow it upon five other people.

    MammaLoves, because she not only worked it at BlogHer, she worked it with an undiagnosed BROKEN FOOT. I’m so glad we met, I’m reading her blog every day now!

    Chirky, who used her ability to schmooze people to get the “Speaker Wrangler” job for BlogHer. She had to get all of us our information about where and when to be, organized conference calls, and was available at the conference for help. She did a great job!

    Mommy Needs Coffee, who decided the Monday before BlogHer to go, and was on a plane by Wednesday. She might not think of herself as a schmoozer, but she so is. She met authors! She’s writing a book! She rocks.

    IzzyMom, who seemed to be everywhere at BlogHer, and looked like a gorgeous Rock Star the whole time. Thanks for throwing that kick-ass party at the Whiskey Sky with Jessica, and for getting us free drinks and free swag! You really worked it at BlogHer, Izzy!

    Moosh in Indy, my newest blog crush. I’ll admit I didn’t know her until she found my profile on Peopleized and contacted me about interviewing me (we still need to do your interview, Casey!), but once I met her at BlogHer, I wanted to put her in my pocket and bring her home. If you look at my Flickr page, there’s photos of her eating cotton candy on Saturday, with her tongue all blue. She’s pretty hot! :p

    I’ll be leaving a comment with each of them letting them know they have won a “Major Award”, and they will pass it to five people, and so on, and so on, and so on. Thanks again, Landismom!

    The Power of Schmooze award was created and designed by Pink Reviews, and Things by Mike.

    9 Comments » Filed under: BlogHer '07