Hey, I Just Met You, And This Is Crazy…

…but here’s my blog, so read it maybe?

If you’re new here, it’s possible you just met me at BlogHer ’12 or BBSummit’12. And you might have typed my url into your browser to find out a little more about the person you had a (hopefully positive!) encounter with. So why not cover some of the basics today, shall we?

So…A Mommy Story, eh? Not exactly the most original blog name.

Well, yes. I do know that. But way back in ancient times (you know, 2005), when blogging was just becoming a “thing,” blog names were FAR easier to obtain thanks to little competition. You could get all the good domains then. Now you have to do crazy stuff like get a .net or misspell something or add an extra word in to get the domain you want. It’s led to some creative names, I’ll admit.

So where did the name come from? Well, when I was still a brand new mom, I remember watching all of those “stories” on TLC – A Wedding Story, A Baby Story, etc. and so the name was born.

OK, I’ve looked around here a little. You really want to stick with A Mommy Story? Doesn’t seem to really fit you.

Not really. I’ve outgrown – or rather my kids have nearly outgrown – the name and it doesn’t quite cover all of the topics I blog about. Not that any blog name could sum up all the random around here, unless it was Christina’s Random Blog or something like that. Which, in today’s world, is probably already taken as a domain name. I may change it someday, but it’s hard to give up all of that Google page rank and other mumbo jumbo that I’m told is Very Important in the world of social media and influence.

You really seemed to know a lot of people at the conference – did I just meet a high-profile blogger?

Nope, sorry to disappoint, but thanks for the compliment! I do know a lot of people, though. I’ve been blogging since 2005 and have attended every BlogHer from 2006 until now. That’s several years to meet people, both online and at conferences. And so I’m now lucky enough to walk through any hall at BlogHer and have a very high chance of seeing someone I know, even if I can’t remember their name. (I’m awful at remembering names. And faces if you’ve changed anything since we last met, or if you look nothing like your Twitter/Facebook photo.)

But while I know a lot of bloggers, including some “high-profile” ones, I’m not one myself. I guess you could say I have influence but don’t let that influence fool you into thinking someone’s offering me a book deal or I make a living at this kind of thing.

Wow, you’ve been blogging since 2005? You’re like a grandmother of blogging!

Um, well, at least you didn’t call me ancient. True story, BlogHer ’09, by the elevators. Which is also where I was called a grandmother of blogging (but they had never heard of me). Yes, this blog has been around since 2005, and before that I had a LiveJournal blog for a few years. It was the perfect outlet to find other parents to commiserate with early on, and since then I’ve developed several awesome friendships with people all over the world. And? It’s fun. This hobby isn’t just a fad for me.

Besides, does this face look old enough to be a grandma?

Wait – if you’ve been around that long, how come I’ve never heard of you? You must not be very good at this.

It’s a fair criticism. Unlike some of the famous bloggers, I’m not all that funny, I rarely make people cry, and I’m no good at exaggerating for effect. And my posting could be more frequent. I’ve never been a professional blogger – I’ve kept this blog updated while working a day job.

Early on it was a part-time job, then I was in school getting another degree, and then I spent the last three years working hard full-time jobs on third shift. (Working overnights.) That hell has now passed, though, and I’m happily comfortable with a work-from-home job that doesn’t require me to stay up all night.

Also, I’m not all that good at business. Oh sure, I have some fantastic ideas in my head, but it’s hard for me to nail down a business plan and see it through. I’ve tried, but then I get bored and something shiny comes along and distracts me and then I’m chasing my next big idea.

So the blog continues as it is. I take opportunities when they present themselves, but don’t actively chase down opportunities. I promote issues and brands that I feel strongly about. And I don’t promote myself as much as I probably should. You could call me coy, I suppose. Which is better than calling me lazy.

Speaking of distracted, you seemed, uh, mighty distracted at BlogHer. Just being honest, sorry.

No, no, it’s fine. I really do have ADD, and you must have caught me at one of my overwhelmed moments. BlogHer is like the ultimate collection of shiny objects, and sometimes it’s hard for me to keep my focus. Don’t take it personally, please. I’m a very good listener and love meeting new people – just because my eyes are wandering doesn’t mean I’m not still engaged. Hopefully you snapped me back to attention so you had my full focus.

And if I said I’d come back and didn’t, well…I screwed that up. I’m sorry, and I promise it wasn’t because I didn’t want to come back. (Looking at you, Annette. Luckily we kept running into each other!)

While we’re on the topic, and please don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re a little odd. Odd in a fun way, but odd.

Yup. It’s taken me 36 years to accept this. You could say I’m geeky, or lacking in social graces. My older daughter has autism, so it seems to run in the family. I can put on a good show of being social, but it eventually gets to me and I start to break down.

If you saw me in the Kohler bathtub at BlogHer, it was because I was overwhelmed and discovered the VibrAcoustic tub music provided the perfect sensory block for me. Or maybe you saw me squeal in delight at receiving a copy of Goodnight Pond from Leila and wondered why a book about some doctor in a sci-fi TV show (Doctor Who) would elicit such a response.

So I can embrace the odd label. And let’s be honest, most bloggers are at least a little odd, right?

You seemed to have a knack for directions.

That’s my superpower. If you were one of the folks finding yourself lost at the conference or in NYC, I hope my directions helped you. If I’ve been somewhere once, I can usually remember it all and find my way back again. Or orient myself to know which direction we’re going. It’s like having a GPS built into your head. Even I get lost sometimes, but I find it fun and once I find my way I never get lost there again.

You can really knock back a drink, too.

Why yes, yes I can. Except tequila – that stuff is evil.

Hope that gives you a little more information about me beyond the often short connections made in person at the conference. If there’s anything else you want to know, aside from my bank account number (which you’d be disappointed in, anyway) drop me an email or leave a comment.