Oh hell. Whatever. Fine. I’m staring down 40. What of it?
I am in a bit of a reflecting mood right now. It has been a big year of accomplishments for me. Let me clarify a bit… I don’t say “accomplishments” in order to elicit a ton of “woo hoo” compliments, just in reflection. Obviously with big accomplishments come big sacrifices and many a sleepless night. I’m sure you know exactly what I mean…
But I have to admit, even for me, this has been a blessed year, albeit at a ridiculous pace. A cursory list: taking care of my fantastic family, opening up the new business, launching Momz Share, attending Blog Her, being mentioned in the New York Times (twice!) and Wall Street Journal, raising over $2,600 for charity and running the New York Marathon, meeting wonderful new friends and business associates and learning a heck of a lot in a short time… to name a few.
No wonder I am tired.
You know, I was talking to my friend Pat a couple of weeks ago and we had a conversation that has stuck with me… He asked me “what was next” on my list after conquering the NYC Marathon. I didn’t have an answer for him. I merely shrugged and said, “I think nothing. I don’t have anything on my agenda. I guess I am going to take a break.” He sat right up in his seat and said, “Oh COME ON! I don’t believe that for a second. I know you Jen and you won’t be able to sit still for long.” (I am paraphrasing, of course.)
Let me just say – I hate him for being right. Gah! But I love him for challenging inspiring me.
For right now, however, I am content to just sit quietly and reflect. (And plot my new world domination goals.. muwahahaha)
Business goals I have. We’ve mapped them all out. Personal goals are another matter. And blogging goals, well, that is really high on my list right now. I’ve am very antsy to get back to some serious writing. (Just need to survive the holidays first…) As for my family, well, I will be launching a middle schooler next year and if there is a perfect time to really concentrate on your family, this would be it!
In the interest of wrapping up the year, I put together a quick and dirty slide show for you. Thank you all for being such a huge part of my 38th year… darn! I mean 28th year. Cheers!
Hello! Jennifer asked me to guest-post and when the social-media-maven asks, I jumped at the chance!
Jennifer is my idol because she’s so into fitness. My wife and I recently did the Jillian Michaels routine and I lost 15 pounds! I’m really psyched about it, too!
[psst] is she gone?
Excellent! She never really reads any blog beyond the first sentence, anyway
When Jennifer asked me to guest post I said, “sure, I’d be happy to post my fitness story.” She, who is training for the NY Marathon, was totally on-board!
She obviously only reads my blog occasionally Apart from the couple of posts where I talk about my “climb to weight-loss”‚™ (I like that so much I had to trademark it), I rarely mention “fitness.” You see, I’m a geek. What’s more, I’m a geek-dad. I can spot fellow geeks a mile away- especially geek-moms! I’m here to say that Jennifer is a geek. Oh sure, she passes herself off as “hip” and a “glossy, shiny girl,” but I’ll clue ALL of you in that she is really one of the geekiest girls I’ve known.
I can say this because I’ve hanged with the geekiest. I’ve been to sci-fi conventions, did FOUR years playing a vampire in several LARPs, voted Democrat (still do), as well as a few other things I won’t go into here. I’m here to tell you, she’s got her geek on!
Remember her “story” on going to see Twilight: Eclipse? What she didn’t tell you is that she dressed up as Bella for the occasion. Oh sure, she “went on” about how the audience went crazy whenever the shirtless Jacob came into view- but how does she explain this photo I acquired from that evening?! Cougar, indeed!
Then there was the time her iPad arrived “for research purposes in social media hardware.” Oh sure, she let on about how she was excited she was when she ordered it online. What she didn’t mention was that she had to because, though she waited in line 5 days, she couldn’t get one at the Apple Store the FIRST day it was out! Did she mention that she owned a 27″ iMac? Not enough? How about the gaming server farm in her basement?!
Oh, yeah- then there was the Star Wars convention… – that’s all I have to say about that.
Yeah, I’ve got her number. I’m on to her and I’m out to tell the world that Jennifer Gerlock is a geek! Don’t let her fool any of you again!
My job here is done.
…btw- can someone mention to her that we had to move D&D night to Thursdays because the Frederick Web Technology Group has moved to Tuesdays. Thanks
P.S.- ok- those aren’t “actual” photos, but journalistic illustrations. I don’t have any actual proof, but… then again!
Kevin Bruce is a totally geeky dad who blogs at Neutral Good. He is a real life pal (@kevinbruce) who has a saint of a wife and a beautiful little boy who probably already knows all of the Star Wars characters by heart. SIGH.
PS: I have no idea how he got those alleged pictures of me. ALLEGED.
I’m so excited to share with you my Yahoo! Shine You.Reinvented interview!
Yahoo! was at BlogHer talking about reinvention and I had the opportunity to sit down with them and talk about my personal journey:
I must confess, I really don’t like myself on video. I am highly critical of everything (!) especially my tendency to assume the I-talk-way-too-fast-because-I-am-nervous persona. Ahh, well.
This is one subject that I just can’t be subtle about. I can’t beat around the bush. I can’t dance around the subject. Basically, I NEED YOU!
You see, I’ve found myself somehow up for a nomination by Nickelodeon for “Best Parenting Blog.” I know, I am as shocked as you are.
I was just all minding my business one day when I came across the notification in my in-box. I thought that surely it was a mistake. But then I saw my picture on the same page as this description:
“We know you love Dooce, Amalah and about six million other awesome blogs. But which of these up-and-comers make you laugh, cry and LOVE being a parent?”
Besides the fact that I have NO IDEA WHY I am included in the same company with those ladies (who are awesome BTW), I am beyond thrilled. I feel like someone nominated me for HOMECOMING QUEEN’.
And I am totally okay with begging asking for votes.
So if you are a friend, or a relative, a stranger or a stalker (no matter!) please head over to Nickelodeon’s Parent’s Picks 2010 to vote to nominate me for the BEST PARENTING BLOG.
I thought that writing a “light & funny” piece on the Top 5 Style DON’Ts for Hybrid Mom would be a pretty standard assignment.
I never thought I would be called out as a “bad writer, catty, judgmental and @#%^&*!” But I was.
Why am I telling you this? Partly because it has been slightly consuming me. Partly because I have never been involved in drama. People, some of these folks HATE me. Holy cow!
And I guess the biggest thing that is upsetting me is the fact that I am second guessing my writing skills. When you insult people you don’t mean to insult, well, you have to either completely dismiss them or re-evaluate your own skills.So for a woman with classic nice-girl syndrome (READ: me), this situation is completely unnerving. It is enough to make me want to drop the humor altogether.
Has anyone else out there found themselves in a similar situation of doubt? How did YOU handle it?
Working momma. Flibbertigibbet. Family environs upkeep manager. Deadline juggler. Intellectual magpie... Random postings from a life of a working DC Metro mom. Unapologetically myself.
Clearly, I am an idiot.
