En Route

I'm sitting in the St. Louis airport, and I'm so cold.  It's 33 degrees on the other side of these thick airport windows, and I didn't bring a coat.  I browsed the shops for a solution, but I'd prefer that the most expensive item in my closet not be a St. Louis sweatshirt.  One possible alternative is a Budweiser beach towel from the gift store bargain bin, but I'm thinking that wrapping myself in a beer towel should, perhaps, be a last resort.  Instead, I bought a crock-pot cookbook, because it just seemed warm.

I'm sitting here with my sandwich and trying to warm up next to a giant photo of Wolfgang Puck, in his airport restaurant ("I'm Taking My Favorite Recipes To New Heights, Because Everyone Deserves a First-Class Meal," the sign says.  Really, you have to applaud a pun that is entirely unashamed of itself.)  I'm thinking and chewing, shivering in the airport noise, trying to process all the pieces from this busy weekend. 

It was great fun; our hosts could not have been more gracious.  I reconnected, brainstormed and laughed with several dear friends.   I made new friends, too, meeting several creative, savvy, intelligent, funny women who just blew me away.  I puzzled, again, at how blogs seem to make the world so big and so small, all at the same time.  I remembered (and it was some much-needed remembering) what I love about this curious world of blogging.

I'm tempted to try to link to everyone I met this weekend, but I know I'd leave someone out--and that would be almost as tacky as a beer towel.  Instead, may I just say a hearty "thank you" to those of you I met this weekend.  You ladies inspire me and make me laugh! 

Comments

[Beth]

I hope you enjoy your brief stop in my town! I know exactly the terminal you're talking about, and I also wish it had better bargains. If it's not too late to get back to the Bud store, the bbq sauce is AWESOME! To go with your new cookbook, it makes great pulled pork in the Crock-Pot.

[sandy toe]

I can't wait to visit all the blogs this week an see pictures of Blissdom!
-sandy toe

[Sara]

Hee Hee Hee, you are so funny!
I'm giggling at the thought of you wrapped in a Bud beach towel :)
Hope you had a fantastic weekend!
Thanks for always making me smile
:)

[suzanne]

I mean what could be finer than to be in St. Louis eating Wolfgang cuisine wrapped in a beer towel????? I cannot believe you skipped such an opportunity!!!!

[Megan]

If I'd known you would be in St. Louis I would have rushed an Oklahoma State sweatshirt right over to you. Because I'm sure you must love OSU and all, right? *grin*

Seriously, I could have found something much better like a rainbow strip beach towel or something...

[Michelle]

I'm jealous I can't wait to hear (read) all the stories!

[Jamie]

I got a cold chill reading your post just imagining the cold. I love cookbooks too and am sure that warmed you a bit. The Blissdom weekend sounds like a fun time. Can't wait to hear more about it.

Have a great warm week!
Jamie
www.oktxok.blogspot.com

[brigid]

First, let me say your session was my highlight at Blissdom. And that is really saying something, because Blissdom was pretty great. Secondly, because I never got the chance to tell you in person, Rocks in My Dryer is my favorite blog name ever.

[We are THAT family]

Meeting you was the highlight of my trip!

My son was so excited to see that I snagged a picture of you.

Somewhere along the way, he got the impression you were a rock star (perhaps, the rocks in your blog name ???)

I am not going to correct him anymore.

Because it turns out he was right.

[AprilMay]

Oh, how I wish I could attend one of these! It's like there are two blogging worlds out there: The glamorous bloggers who get to attend fabulous conferences, and us not-so-glamorous ladies who are just wondering how to stretch that frozen hamburger enough to make one more meal. I guess I will have to live vicariously through you and the other glamorous women!

[Staci at Writing and Living]

You know, you could do worse than a St. Louis sweatshirt. Just sayin'. *grin*

[Smockity Frocks]

Okay, just hopped over to "THAT family" and saw your pic, Shannon. You look FABULOUS! You never posted about your weight loss except for that one time, but it looks like you have lost quite a bit.

[allison]

I'm so jealous. Not of you freezing to death to the point that you're considering a Budweiser towel. That's got to be a new low. But the Blissdom part. Such fun.

[Judy S.]

33 degrees? That was the temp here in Minnesota today and we were all commenting on how it was such a balmy day! :) I run errands in that kind of weather with no coat!! Don't you want to come up here fro a conference? :)

[Jena (Organizing Mommy)]

Glad you had fun. We would love to hear about it.

[AnnieBlogs]

What a great weekend. Miss you already. Thanks, Shannon. You are dear to me.

[Jamie]

Shannon I meant to run over and say hello (howdy) to you yesterday as I was leaving with Amy Clark. Hopefully you'll be back next year and I'll be able to attend the whole weekend and do a better job at mingling! :)

[Jules from The Roost]

YOU inspire us and make us laugh!:)

[Heather]

I learned so much from your sessions! Thanks for speaking and inspiring!

[Tidymom]

and it's going to be 71 here today!....THAT's St Louis weather for you!!!

If I had known you were sitting there, I could have come and kept you company!! LOL
(although I am about an hour from the airport- but I would have come!)

~TidyMom

[Adventures In Babywearing]

I am so glad I had a chance to really hang out with you again. Your friendship has blessed me so much- definitely beyond blogging. And thank you so much for introducing me to Amber!

Steph

[CarolinaMama]

You say things so well. What a lovely recap!

[Rebecca (Ramblings by Reba)]

It was good to meet you. :) My husband WAS excited about the photo I got with you. You're a Lostie, so you're one of his peeps.

Rebecca

[Tabitha (From Single to Married)]

Enjoy your trip home! Oh - and if you do end up with the beer towel, be sure to take a picture. :)

[sandy]

Hi Shannon, I was so happy meet you in person. I agree, it felt odd including the few names I did on my post, not wanting to leave anyone out. BUT ... I did get a hilarious pix of us (and Robin) I will email to you. I promise not to put on the blog. AND I never got a pix of just you and me. I have my homework assignment too - to get you some hopefully good information.
You were one of my favorite speakers - so real and knowing your stuff an all. Happy Monday!

[Ellen]

This sounds so graet. Maybe I will go to it next year; in June, I'm planning on doing Blogher, my first blog conference ever, hope it's as great as this one sounds. At the very least, I'm getting a whole weekend away, and I really, really need a break. Today's blog is about walking into my boss's office with a strand of spaghetti on my shirt. Seriously.

[melissa @ the inspired room]

Shannon,

I am tickled pink that I got to meet you! You are so poised and classy yet REALLY sweet and gracious. I too wish we could have had more time to chat!

There are so many blogging women to look up to and learn from, as a relative newbie to this world, I was inspired!

Blessings,
Melissa

[Lazy Mom Leslie]

It sounds like all you girls had such a great time! The Lazy Moms so want to go next year!

[kim]

It was soooo great to meet you! And thanks for the good words about my hair! I believe it is more famous than my art! haha!

[Jean Warner]

Congratulations on being runner up in the best family blog catefgory in the Okie Blog Awards this year!

[Just Pure Lovely]

Do you even look way down here? At Comment #31, or so? If so, hi!

Thanks for visiting my blog and taking the time to comment (it's like having a rock star sig! wonder if your comments are worth a bit on eBay? ;)). It really was lovely shout-talking to you at the appetizer table at Blissdom. You were gracious, as expected.

If you ever need WFMW help with any of our ideas, holler! I've gotten enough traffic from those few I've remembered to do, that I totally owe you one.

~ Lori

[Lisa @ Stop and Smell the Chocolates]

Sounds like everybody had a lovely time at Blissdom! But, you didn't take a coat?? I seem to recall that you had a coat issue in San Francisco at BlogHer - am I right??

If we are ever at a blogging conference together I will remember to bring an extra coat for you - LOL!

Saw the pic of you and Kristen at We Are THAT Family - you are just lovely!

Hope you are enjoying being back home after all the fun.

[Musings of a Housewife]

You're so classy. I love it - short and sweet. It's amazing we're such good friends! I think we're polar opposites. It was SO NICE spending time with you this weekend!

[edj]

Hey we were just freezing and coatless in an airport too--only we were in Madrid, where it was COLD. I always think of Spain as warm, you know? Wrong.

[Moriah @ Please Pass the Salt]

How am I just reading this now?! You may or may not still be reading these but it was such fun to meet you IRL, short as the time was.