We Came We Blogged We Talked (face to face)

20 years ago I took my first train ride into Manhattan. On reaching the city, as the train pulled out of the tunnel, I got a glimpse of buildings (tall, sooty brown and grime grey), a bit of sky, and the train tracks.

Yesterday I saw that very same vista.

5 years ago I started blogging about Charlie and Jim's and my life.

5 years was when a couple of my friends started blogging too.

3 years ago I went to a BlogHer conference for the first time in Chicago.

2 years ago I went BlogHer again in San Francisco and met Shannon, Jennyalice, Kristen, Jordan, and Mary, and how many other mom bloggers?

Yesterday I went to BlogHer.

Recalling my chicken frosh self of 1990, I felt a little glee to be making my way solo through the Garden and up Avenue of the Americas to the conference hotel where I immediately met Niksmom.

And then Estée and Kyra whose blogs I've only followed for how long?

And, at a panel on autism and blogging, Carol and Stimey and Angry Black Bitch who (along with Shannon) each mentioned an autism myth and debunked it:

'Everyone autistic is a savant.' Not.

'There's only one way to be autistic.' Nope.

'Autism is not a childhood disease.' You said it.

'Autism means a life of misery.' No way!

I confess I didn't go to any other panels. The rest of the day was more than full of many riches (some in somewhat excessive quantities):

• plenty of lunch (nice little change from yet another Sodexho sandwich)
• a tour de Swag which left me with more reusable grocery bags than I knew I needed, random packages of Pirate's Booty, weird cookies, and soy bars in three flavors, and a Jimmy Dean alarm clock that I intend to put to good use (when I can figure that out)
• lots and lots and lots of good talking about lots and lots of things with a couple of women whose lives I've known a bit of through their blogs over the years, but nothing beats sitting face to face with breeze blowing and the sun shining in Central Park
• a limo ride (actual $$ cost: very little----happy laughs and silly, happy photos: yup, priceless)
• a very nice dinner with a little too much noise of a raucous kind from the next table and (despite that) more good conversation.

It was equally good back on the homefront. Charlie's teacher called me in the afternoon to explain about how he was clearly tense going into the grocery store on his class's weekly shopping excursion. Charlie started talking about the bus and then saying 'white car Dad,' so his teacher knew it was indeed the bus that was worrying him. Then Charlie swiped some bags of marshmallows of a shelf. He got over that fast, bought a box of crackers, and (once back in his school classroom) laughed and grinned when reading his 'taking the bus home' social story.

Jim met the bus and Charlie at home and then it was

• 1 10-mile bike ride
• 1 burrito
• 1 10-mile bike ride
• 1 3 1/2 mile walk

And when I walked into our house from the train, 1 boy out cold on the couch after yet another action-packed, and fun, day with his dad.

Comments

[Liz Ditz]

DANG another reason to pout about missing BlogHer10 -- not seeing you!

Ah well. Next year, or later this year, $deity$ willing & the creek don't rise.

[Niksmom]

It was SOOOOO GREAT to finally get to meet you IRL and share such a great time. I will remember our limo ride for sure! :-)

[autismvox]

I was sorely tempted to post a limo photo---think I will add one......

[KWombles]

Sounds like a lovely day was had by all. :-)

[autismvox]

And Jim got a new toothbrush out of it, too.

[Linda]

Women friends are the best! Immediate shorthand to deep and fun communication AND our family enjoys the respite.

[Bonnie Sayers (autismfamily)]

I started writing 5 yrs ago in June. I heard next yr it will be in San Diego, that might be doable for me - if I really want to go.

Been waiting for ASA annual conf to come this way. I think the yr Nick was dx it was here in LA (98)

[autismvox]

Estée has a great recap of the panel here:

http://www.esteeklar.com/2010/08/08/isolated-no-more/

Hope to meet everyone sometime--- San Diego would be lovely---

[kyra]

i loved meeting you in person, kristina! our time in the park was so lovely. xx to you!

[Stimey]

It was lovely to see you. Really, really lovely. I loved being in that Blogging Autism room with all of you. That was some good energy.