I’m taking a break this session because I’ve got a serious case of the damn cramps which is depressing on so many levels. I don’t know if cramping gets worse as endometriosis gets worse, but I’m starting to believe so based on my experience. Of course, it’s also my first period after my miscarriage and they always seem worse. I don’t know if they actually are or if the depression that you’re no longer pregnant just makes it seem worse. Either way? I’m cramping like a damn mother effer and hiding in the corner under the guise of charging my laptop seems a more acceptable solution than curling up in the fetal position in the corner of the meeting room and crying uncontrollably.

The conference is going well, although I’m a wee-bit homesick. There are so many moms who brought their babies and I’m remembering having mine with me last year and it makes me a little somber at not being able to show them the fun stuff on Navy Pier.

Later, of course, I’ll get to drink adult beverages with my blogfriends and I’ll remember why I’m glad the kids aren’t here.

I’m going to continue with the hiding until my 12th dose of ibuprofen kicks in. (By the way - I’m almost out. If anyone here has ibuprofen on their person I’ll totally make out with you if you hand some over. Or maybe I’ll just buy you a soda. Something like that.) Hopefully the pain will be managed before the cocktail party tonight. Of course, if it doesn’t? I’m totally self-medicating with cheap beer.

This is my life. And what happens in it to make me the insane person I am. Thank you AOL for allowing me to document my lovely luck and thank you Marilyn for laughing at it in the background.

You know what I love about BlogHer? It’s the phenomena of being surrounded by people WAAAAAY freakin’ smarter than me and what it does to my brain. It makes my brain hurt because it takes a lot of effort to pretend like you’re smart. That’s why you won’t see me ask a question in a session, because I’m afraid the spotlight will reveal the man behind the curtain and everyone will be like, “Hm. That Zoot? She’s a total dumbass.”

I ended up in a spontaneous chat session yesterday with FoodMomiac and Jeanne from House In Progress. FoodMomiac, of course, likes the write about food and Jeanne writes about DIY stuff. Now, we all know how I feel about food (Love to eat it, Don’t know how to cook it) and when my husband is the DIY’er in my home, but I felt like I learned loads from these woman. Here’s is my Most Valuable BlogHer Tip Of The Week. FoodMomiac puts her children’s dishes in a cabinet they can reach so they can help set the table or get their places set for dinner.

OHMYGOD. Isn’t that the most amazing thing ever? And if you already knew that tip, please pretend like you didn’t and be amazed with me. I’m totally rearranging my kitchen when I get home.

I’ve decided my BlogHer roundup this year, when I get back home and can focus on the experience, will be of the “Who Taught Me What” this year. I’ve been to some great sessions and I can’t wait to share with you some of the ideas.

But here’s another “revelation” of sorts. I missed the Momosphere Panel, believe it or not (I’ll explain that later - there’s an interesting story behind that choice) but I heard they only barely touched on whether Mom Blogs are “legitamate” which goes back to what I said earlier about feeling the need to apologize for having a personal blog. Because I feel like it gets dismissed so easily.

BUT - here is my revelation: I dismiss blogs all the time. (Please don’t hate me.) Now, I don’t dismiss them in the sense that I deem they have no substance, I just dismiss them as sites I won’t read and that won’t interest me. And usually it’s because their about a niche topic I find no enthusiasm for. So, in reality? I’ve been doing all along what I fear people do about my site. I’m afraid they won’t come by because I say, “It’s a personal blog.” Or worse, “It’s a MommyBlog.”

And okay - HOW DUMB IS THAT? Really? I’m getting upset over that? Isn’t that, you know, simply a choice that I make everytime I skim someone else’s blogroll? Why is it that me assuming there’s nothing on that knitting site that will appeal to me is okay, but someone assuming my MommyBlog is not awesome upsets me? Because I’m a DUMBASS, that’s why.

So, here’s my new stance. I’m a life blogger. I’m a personal blogger. I’m a MommyBlogger. And of course people are going to dismiss that. And I may thing they’re crazy like I do people who dismiss donuts or Harry Potter, but I do it too. We can’t read it all, and we much rush judgements that may keep us away from some awesome sites - but it’s nothing to take too personally.

Now - people who dismiss donuts? I take that shit personally.

I’m in the room listening to a panel about personal blogging and blogging “naked” - most everyone attending writes personal blogs. I’m going to liveblog this for those of you who would normally be here with me and hate to be missing out.

On the panel:
AAG (I’ve not been to this site, but it stands for “Always Aroused Girl” - just thought you might want to know.
Heather B. who I love with all my heart. So fun. She is also found here.
Anastacia who also can be found here and here.
Kris who can also be found here.

Kris is discussing how frustrating it is when you have a personal blog and it’s not taken “seriously” as a blog since it’s not topic specific. That is why they created Indie Bloggers. Amen, girl. She has a 3-legged cat and feels like she’s trying to represent the life of a single woman in DC still renting at 33 and what it’s like living that life.

Audio problems abound, of course. That always seems to be the trickiest part with these workshops.

Stacy (sp?) blogs about anything and nothing, which is how I like to describe myself. She likes having a space of her own and discusses being completely honest and how you have to hide from things in your personal life, but you want that honestly online.

Heather started writing after getting back from studying a semester in Spain. She documents her life after college and has been blogging for about 2 years. Writing about how much “it sucks to be an adult.” Which - amen! Just the trials and tribulations of doubting career choices. She just moved in with her mother and talks about how “fun that is.”

AAG - been writing for 2 years since her marriage was winding down. She writes about sex/divorce/relationships etc. She is very honest about her experiences.

Moderator asks how honest can/should you be -

Kris - Says even if you are “completely honest” it’s still just a slice of the writers life. In her first year she protected everyone. Then her relationship ended and she looked back on that year as almost “fake” because she felt that year was dishonest.

Stacy - Discusses who you blog for and keeping honest as your readership grows. Finds herself wondering how things are getting interpreted. She also feels better being able to talk about things now (like depression) that wasn’t something people documented four years ago - so she’s hoping that’s a good indication of the future.

Heather talks about the bad side of being too honest (almost getting kicked out of her apartment) then she decided that was too honest and toned it down a bit. She hopes her words will give others in her position hope that the future gets better.

AAG - Jokes that she actually went online because she didn’t want anyone to find her paper journal, which is quite funny and she appreciates the laughter. That someone goes online to protect their thoughts. She brings up the good point that taking out the garbage can be interesting depending on how you discuss it.

The moderator brings up that miserably embarrassing stories make funny blog entries that get feedback which is what’s different from writing in a paper diary. Knowing someone is going to read your site makes things different.

Moderater - Were you a diary/journal writer before becoming a blogger?

Audience member said that she found other blogs about parents with twins which gave her support and made her want to do the same thing.

Another audience member likes being able to choose how to document her life in her own words. She likes writing her own story.

Stacy discusses that the feedback makes it okay to be human and makes you, as the writer, feel better about your problems, mistakes, and issues you’re facing.

The discussion goes to what if your family knows you have a blog, either because you told them or because they found it, and what that does with your “honesty” level. Kris lives in fear of her parents finding it and she doesnt want her parents to find it. The moderator opens this up for discussion and I’m going to add my 2 cents here because I’m too scared to ask for the microphone -

I consider myself to be honest on my site, AND my family and friends all know it’s there. Sometimes I’m sure my brother would like it if I didn’t talk so much about ass-sweat, but I honestly think seeing this site allows my family and friends to get to know me better. My Dad and I used to be really close growing up and I feel like this blogs gives us that same closeness again. I enjoy that my family and friends read this space - I think it helps me give them insight as well.

Shenuts gets up and talks about the downside for her and she thought she was being safe but found out she was not. With family and her job and discusses that no matter how anonymous you may think you are.

This is what I say to that: It is the SAME thing I tell my son - ASSUME EVERYONE IS READING THIS. When he writes on his MySpace page that he needs to assume that, for example, his Nana is reading it. His friends like to use harsh language because it’s cool and I don’t actually mind if he does that, but would she mind? And yeah - she probably won’t find it - but he needs to assume she will so as to avoid future conflict. That’s the way I handle it - and it may keep me from being 100% honest, but that’s okay because that’s life.

An audience member now discusses how she felt like she should apologize for just writing a personal blog. Like that somehow a personal blog is something insignificant. And how we should be proud instead of ashamed.

Another audience member discusses that the personal blogs are documenting life truthfully now. We don’t have to worry about, as a generation, if our story gets told properly. We can tell our own. I love that idea. I think it’s an amazing sentiment that this is MY story and you may think it’s stupid that I worry so much about my blinds being dusty? But at least I can be assured that no one will ever try to write my life story as someone who CLEANED HER BLINDS, heaven forbid. Let it go on record MY BLINDS ARE TOXIC, Amen.

Heather discusses that when she is writing about other people, she discusses it as what her reaction to a situation other people are in, making it about herself as well. Instead of about them. And that’s what I do too, I think.

Everyone is discussing what they discuss about their family and no one seems to have MY situation, where my husband tries to tell me what to write. Doesn’t anyone have that? No? Oh. Okay then.

Now everyone is discussing where they draw the line for privacy for themselves or their family. I draw the line at documenting my children’s real names, but I do put their pictures all over flickr. Some think this is bad, but listen, with MySpace? People post pictures all over the place. They aren’t going to ask your permission, I’m learning, before posting pictures of your children. Now, I try to teach LilZ not to do that - but his friends don’t have parents teaching the same thing. SO - I try to be careful, but the internet is growing very quickly and we are no longer able to control it. It’s very hard to protect them, and I just try to be smart about it.

Heather answers a question about whether or not anyone feels they’re breaking stereotypes. She says that people assumed she was white until they saw her pictures on flickr.

An audience member discusses how accurate of a history we’re painting if we’re censoring ourselves. Interesting point too.

Discussion is about talking about race with your site and whether that’s important or not. And there is also discussion about past abuse and should/can you document. And possibly if it makes someone uncomfortable that’s a GOOD thing. This is all great discussion and hard to liveblog because I’m so into it. This is just a great session. Wish you were here!

An audience member (a BOY! Yay!) discusses how hard it is for him to talk about TTC as a man and how some people don’t think he should be “allowed” to talk about it because he’s a man, I guess. It’s an interesting point of view and he also says what I added earlier: He is NOW closer to the REAL people in his life because of his site. I think that’s great and he said his site was “Maybe Baby” I’ll try to find the URL.

ANOTHER audience member echoes my sentiment that she is closer to her family BECAUSE of her blog. AMEN.

The conversation is continuing…and I’m just enjoying it…and it’s hard to liveblog. Someone discussing the value of linking to sites completely different from your own to show your readers a complete timeline.

Okay - time’s up - Do you have anything to add?

I was going to keep the Harry Potter design up until LilZ and I did our podcast about the book, but since he wasn’t done yet, and I wanted it to look “normal” for BlogHer, I took it down. However, LilZ texted me at 1:30am saying he finished the book, so when I get back? The HP theme is going back up for our podcast.