Hey Pretty Ladies…
So, remember when meeting someone you met online was, like, kind of sketchy and possibly dangerous? And there was a distinct possibility that the person you were meeting would either be a teenaged LARPer or Chris Hansen? 
Life’s really not like that anymore, unless you’re the idiot STILL trying to pick up 16-year olds in chat rooms, in which case, you get what you deserve when you find out that 16-year old tartlet is really a paunchy cop.
Today I saw a commercial for Match.com that said that 1 in 5 couples meet online. Chris asked if I thought that was true, and I do. There’s not the stigma attached to online relationships (dating or otherwise) that there used to be. While Chris and I met the good old-fashioned way (drunk at a friend’s party), I have many, many friends I met via the internet that I regularly hang out with in real life, like most of my food friends. I also have many, many friends whom I have never hung out with in real life, but have epic plans to do so at BlogHer, an annual blogging conference I’ll be attending in August for the second year in a row.
Last year, BlogHer was in Chicago, and I hosted a pre-conference meetup for those in the area who were going so everyone would have a friendly face to turn to at the conference. This year, I’m doing the same. This ain’t nothin’ fancy. Basically, I just named a day and time (Saturday, July 24th at 3PM) and a place (Schlafly Bottleworks) and made an Eventbrite invite. It’s a chance to meet other St Louis ladybloggers whether you are going to BlogHer this year or not.
This will be a casual, friendly, welcoming cocktail hour(s). There will be nametags that you are not obligated to wear. If you’ve never gone to any type of meetup of online acquaintances, this is the perfect event for you because we don’t bite unless you are into that sort of thing, in which case, THINGS CAN BE ARRANGED, if you know what I mean.
Plus, Bottleworks has one of those Dyson hand dryers in the bathroom, the ones that ACTUALLY DRY YOUR HANDS! It’s been there for a few years and I still get a kick out of it.
You don’t have to RSVP, but please do if you know you are coming so we both can get a sense of who will be there. You know you want to Google stalk first.
ANYWAY, I hope to see you there, then at Art of Food, an event for Slow Food St Louis, later that night
Tags: BlogHer, Chris Hansen, LARPing, meetup
(On June 30th, 2010 at 1:41 pm)
I love the Dyson dryer. Love. It. I want to install one in my house.
Ahem, anyway, I’m not going to BlogHer but looking forward to meeting local bloggers! Thanks for putting this together!
(On June 30th, 2010 at 1:43 pm)
Damn, I love that hand dryer thing, too. I get excited every time I see them ANYWHERE.
See you on the 24th. I’ll be in the bathroom washing & drying my hands over and over again. That thing never gets old.
(On June 30th, 2010 at 5:50 pm)
Ok – I guess I’m in for a treat to see the Dyson dryer! Can’t wait for the meet up. I’ve been trying to spread the word on Twitter to get more St. Louis gals to join in!
(On July 1st, 2010 at 9:54 am)
everytime you say ladybloggers I think ladyparts.. I don’t mean to i swear. Bottleworks is such a great place to hang out unless they are out of cider, then I cry in the bathroom and shove my head in the dryer.
(On July 6th, 2010 at 11:18 am)
I shall do my very best to attend this soiree that you have so kindly organized.
(On July 7th, 2010 at 4:41 pm)
I am planning to be there! Can’t wait to see you, KBO!
(On July 16th, 2010 at 10:14 am)
Found you!!
Actually, someone sent me the evite on Twitter. I’ve been rambling on and on about how I’m scared to go to the conference knowing no one. I want a buddy-system of some sort but I’ve been too damn busy to seduce a buddy into my web so I’m still solo with my ticket. Yikes!
I can’t go to the pre-conference meet up because I have my firstborn daughter’s wedding shower that day and I’m pretty sure someone there would notice if I didn’t show up. Ahem.
But – just a shout-out… I’m a STL blogger who knows NO ONE and yet had the balls to buy a ticket to BlogHer 2010, an act which I am now not so sure about.
Hold me, I’m scared.
(On July 18th, 2010 at 11:31 am)
Dude they installed Dyson driers in my old office building and it was EXCITING to go pee after that.
Wish I were in town!
(On July 19th, 2010 at 7:17 pm)
Man. I can’t remember, but isn’t that Dyson dryer (which is, yes, cool in theory) as loud as those Excel dryers? Because I believe any business wishing to install those should be required to install sound dampening material. I cannot stand the noise. It’s awful for me.