Sessions, looking forward and a meme.

What they say is true about BlogHer.  You don’t want to try and go to a breakout session in every single time slot.

Other than the “speed dating” exercise at the opening session, I kept busy all of Friday attending Leadership:  Owning Your Expertise (wrote about this over at Diabetes Daily), Identity/Passions:  Lifeblogging Outside the Lines:  When You’re not a Geek, a Political Wonk, or a MommyBlogger (yawn), and Identity/Passions:  PatientBloggers – You Are Not Your Disease, You Just Blog About It Every Day (more on this down below).  And of course, I laughed and cried at the Community Keynote.

Yeah.  My brain and soul were fried come Saturday morning.  I skipped the keynote and first breakout session in favor of a stroll through Millennium Park with Kerri and Julia.  In fact, the only breakout session I attended was Mommyblogging:  Healthcare by Committee.  I know what you’re thinking – Rachel is not a mommyblogger or even a mommy – I was there to support my friend Kim, who was a speaker on the panel.  (I took plenty of notes, but it remains to be seen if I’ll be able to complete a proper write-up.)  From there, after seeing that two different final breakout sessions were packed, Kerri and I decided to hit the expo hall.

Next year.  (Oh yes, there will be a next year, no way am I missing out on a first ever trip to New York City.)  I’ll hit two sessions each day, if the right ones interest me, and I will take naps.  I will avoid all swag because really, I don’t need more crap cluttering my study at home.

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So, back to that PatientBlogging breakout session.  I’m not going in depth about what went on or what I thought about it, only because I know Kerri and Jenni too well, especially after this past weekend.  Besides, the link I presented to Lee Ann‘s piece over at Diabetes Mine sums it up pretty well.

As you’ve probably heard if you went to BlogHer or followed events closely at home, Ree took off her wig during this session to reveal her mostly bald head and to explain what it’s like to be a woman who has lost her hair to alopecia.  She’s not outwardly sick, but the emotional impact on her and her family has been tremendous.

I had the pleasure of hanging out with Ree on Saturday night.  I let her know how much I appreciated her voice and her actions in that session.

And now she has tagged me in a meme.

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What is your current obsession? Finding things to do and places to eat in Washington, DC.

What is your weirdest obsession? Needing to look for the phone book and page through it for awhile upon entering a hotel room.  I didn’t do this at BlogHer and I didn’t sleep well at all.  Hmmm.

Recall a fond childhood memory? The musty smell of my great-grandmother’s house.

What’s for dinner? Buffalo burgers.

What would you eat for your last meal? Chicago-style deep dish pizza.

What’s the last thing you bought? Some groceries last night.

What are you listening to right now? The sound of rain on an unseasonably cool late July evening in Colorado.

What do you think of the person who tagged you? I felt comfortable with her immediately upon meeting her, something that doesn’t happen often.

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished, anywhere in the world, where would it be? Flathead Lake, Montana.

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? Italy.

Which language do you want to learn? Italian.

What’s your favorite quote (for now)? “You cannot find peace by avoiding life” – Virginia Woolf

What is your favorite color? Eggplant

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe? My black tight  t-shirt with “Women Who Behave Rarely Make History” quoted in white letters.

What is your dream job? A published novelist.

What’s your favorite magazine? Bon Appetit

If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on? A massage.

Describe your personal style? I don’t have any.

What are you going to do after this? Eat dinner, maybe finish the book I’m reading, spend (ahem) quality time with the husband.

What are your favorite films? Miracle on 34th Street, Dead Poets Society, Army of Darkness, High Fidelity, Dances with Wolves.

What’s your favorite fruit? Kiwis, strawberries, avocados.

What inspires you? People watching.

Your favorite books? There are so many, but here’s a few.  Prodigal Summer, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Bird by Bird, The World According to Garp.

Do you collect anything? Memories.  Books.  Test strips.

Any advice that’s come from bitter experience? Don’t take life so seriously.

What makes you follow a blog? Nodding and agreeing with the writer, laughing my ass off, crying my ass off, knowing I will learn something.

I don’t normally “tag” people on these memes, but if I met you at BlogHer, please consider doing this one so I can learn more.