I invited Ryan from For the Birds to write a little something with me. Turns out we have more in common than we thought. Ryan’s portion is in red. mine is in black…
I took the red-eye from LaGuardia… I left a note– I should be back in a day or two… they will be mad, but who could pass up an opportunity such as this? Tired, I didn’t pack anything but a carry on… it’s 4am in San Francisco… here I am, but it’s way too early to ring the buzzer — might wake the girls. Anyway, I’m 3 hours ahead… where can I find coffee? No. She might change her mind if I’m not here when she opens her door…. Because you see, Amanda asked me to join her on Brilliant Sulk.
I was surprised, to say the least, about her invitation. Amanda writes with a sophistication and wit that one can only hope to aspire to…. but as I sit here on her doorstep looking rather homeless… I wonder what her life was like before San Francisco… because, you see.., Amanda and I both spent time growing up in Fairfield County, Connecticut. And, although I am almost certain that I have never met her face to face, I can’t help but wonder if she had a similar experience.
Now I don’t want to start off on the wrong foot, Fairfield is a really really nice place. Gorgeous country, beaches, quaint towns… filthy rich living amongst everyday. Sixteen year olds with expensive sports cars… $500 jeans… plastic surgery and of course.. straight A students. No pressure. Sometimes I feel like I was just a spectator on the sidelines watching others fight for prominent positions in the superior class system of high school. I really didn’t care — which I’m sure only led to my position as somewhat rebellious and albeit… a little scary…. it didn’t help that I hissed like a vampire either… but my family was normal and actually wonderful. Most in town were not. Most of my classmates were on their own… parents constantly gone. There were great parties… where parents returned from business trips to find their televisions tossed out windows and Land Rovers sitting in duck ponds. I attended—if only to watch the demise of others, but I didn’t join the groups. I always found myself sneering at the fake blonds talking about the weekend Aruba getaway with their 30 year old boyfriends… Bitter? Perhaps. But I did enjoy the looks of disgust when I would attempt to parallel park my car—a gray Renault Alliance that wouldn’t go in reverse… and couldn’t stop at lights without the battery dying. It was fun to tell my friends to jump in while the car was moving. Because, I did have friends… but I think I only really liked one or two of them…. one had to be careful while consorting with those that had anything they wanted at their fingertips… including fancy trips to Rehab. But what about Amanda… ?
I heard shuffling at my front door, it was 4am. I had been lying awake for hours. We had tried a new raw food restaurant in Berkeley the evening before and apparently the mung bean pineapple blue cheese scramble hadn’t agreed with me. I went to see what the noise was. It was Ryan. A welcome sight. I invited her in for coffee and we got to talking.
I stumbled upon Ryan’s blog sometime in the Fall, completely at random, and was captivated by her writing. I like this person, I thought to myself. So I followed her on Twitter and we formed a long distance friendship of sorts. Turns out we went to the very same high school. How weird is that?
Growing up in Connecticut amidst the rolling green hills, beautiful antique homes and Porsche driving middle aged men trolling for young chicks was wonderful. Now that I have children of my own, I enjoy going back to visit my family every year. I want my kids to know that summers are about fireflies, lush green foliage, humidity, and shirtless men with beer bellies. Not just fog, vegans and stinky hippies.
Life in Connecticut was never dull. I attended a private girls school for several years.
Then I was asked not to return.
I wasn’t a bad kid, I didn’t do drugs, drink or have sex with the football team. I just didn’t particularly care for school. I would have much rather spent my time listening to music, hopping the train to New York City or reading Interview Magazine. Aside from my plunging grades, part of the reason the school dismissed me was because I received financial aid and they wanted bodies paying full tuition. Which I think at the time was the equivalent of purchasing a small island in the Mediterranean. Or a gold plated walrus.
I then transferred to a public school in one of the wealthiest towns in the entire country. I didn’t fit in too well. At least that’s what I told myself. I didn’t make an effort. I could have, and in hindsight, wished I did. I felt out of place because I was dropped off everyday in a white Volkswagen bug, sans muffler. Not too awkward…
I started skipping school on a regular basis. So much so that one of my teachers enlisted some of my fellow students to pay me a visit at home. Yes. They came to my house and Mr. Egan was holding a dozen red roses. For me. It was a lovely gesture and I went back, stopped skipping school and graduated. Hooray!
Ryan and I will meet each other for the first time in August when we both attend the BlogHer conference in New York City. A giant gathering of crazy women writers. I hope all 2,000 of us don’t get our periods at the same time. I’ll bring some extra tampons. I’m confident that we’ll both be wearing black and will have so much more to talk about…
29 Comments
This made me spitting jealous.
I enjoyed it anyway…the post, not the spit. I flushed the spit because it was green – otherwise I’d just have swallowed it.
Anyway, you’re not making it easy for me to miss Blogher.
I wonder if I can schedule it around a boob job.
.-= Lagunatic´s last blog ..Name your price. =-.
What do you mean you’re NOT going to Blogher? What? Now I’m going to walk around with an eye twitch all day.
.-= Ry Sal´s last blog ..72 Hours – Heard, Read, Said, Typed =-.
YOU MUST COME.
If we drink enough we might be able perform the boob job ourselves…
This was great-thanks to you both. A new (to me) great blog to follow.
.-= Chicken´s last blog ..Will The Real "Anonymous" Please Step Forward… =-.
Love your name Chicken, it’s cool. And you’re even super duper way cool for reading this blog.
I went to boarding school in CT. (My second one, the first was in NH.) I know a handful of people from Fairfield. Always dreamed of moving to San Fran. You must have done something right! Now I must follow this blog, haha.
Ah, boarding school! I knew some really crazy kids who went to boarding school. Were you one of the crazies?
Oh my goodness- a very similar background although it was in Northern CA -wow- no wonder I adore you. Private school- goofball girl- all the same. I started off life in Chicago and recall a few summers of flireflies and so wish I had that to share with my tots.
I would do just about anything to go to blogHer. Hmmm-I would so love to meet you IRL and my funny Sue Lagunatic too. I just think both you young women are beyong faboo as well as lots of other great writers- I don’t even come close -I realize- I just sort of say what I am thinking.
Hugs and maybe I won’t have to go to NYC to meet you maybe someplace closer like Luna Park Kitchen!
xoxo
.-= laurel´s last blog ..Crazy is the theme for Monday =-.
Too bad you can’t make it, Luna Park would be fun. We should try and get together…
Although I’ve been known to be quite sulky in person. And you need to make sure I don’t have too much vodka. I steal things or fall asleep when I drink too much.
What a great post……kudos to both of you! Just love it. Have tons of fun in NYC, as I am certain everyone will do.
.-= Wicked Shawn´s last blog ..Love Letters of Camelot…….. =-.
Ah thank you Shawn. I’m sure there will be much to report when I return.
I loved this blog friend love story!
Isn’t it awesome when you get to connect to someone in the great big blogger sea? Fabulous!
Have a great time in August!
.-= mrsblogalot´s last blog ..Cafe Bite-Me =-.
Yes but what if I meet everyone and I embarrass myself? I’m pretty good at that.
I believe that you only need ONE friend in life. Just one. And most of us are not lucky enough to have found that someone. It seems that you have. Congratulations!
.-= submom´s last blog ..Makeup =-.
I imagine Ryan probably thinks I’m pretty creepy after writing about how cool I think she is.
Will you be my new Internet friend?
You find out who your REAL friends are when you move away from the town you THINK you have friends. The ones I grew up with are still my BEST friends and we live all over the east coast. The ones I had before I moved? Not so much. People come and go in our lives for a reason. The ones that stick around are the ones you want in your life.
Enjoy your meeting with Ryan! I’ve met a couple people from the internet. It’s great!
.-= Rioko861´s last blog ..Riddle =-.
It’s not weird meeting people face to face you’ve met online? I’m quite looking forward to it. Guess I’m weird.
Wait,what?
I got all confused and actually thought Ry ran away from home and came to SF? Did she? Is she still there? Am I supposed to use my imagination? ARE YOU LYING TO CONFUSE ME! She has a child that needs her for the LOVE OF GOD!
O.k. I read it again and I think I understand now.
Yay for Blogher!
.-= kelly´s last blog ..I Am About Twenty Years Away From My Full Destructive Potential =-.
So glad you figured it out. You’re bringing the keg, right?
First – where can I get a gold plated walrus?
Second – I’m going to have to initiate some major planning meetings with Kelly so that our wondertwin/destructicorn powers can rival those of you two love birds. Then we can start one of those chicken fights in the Hilton pool.
Third – I should make sure the Hilton has a pool…with a bar…and a stable for our destructicorns.
.-= Elly Lou´s last blog ..All About Me =-.
I’m afraid I cannot divulge where the gold plated walrus can be found.
If you send me $45 and a box of chocolate doughnuts I’ll see what I can do.
If there isn’t a pool I’m sure we’d all fit in the tub right?
I have NEVER, I repeat, NEVER lost a chicken fight in the pool. My Destructicorn is staying in my room so we can destroy it rock star style. I’m going to let him kick through the TV screen before I throw it out the window in a drunken haze.
.-= kelly´s last blog ..I Am About Twenty Years Away From My Full Destructive Potential =-.
Yay! Chicken Fight. I bet they have fountain if there isn’t a pool.
.-= Ry Sal´s last blog ..72 Hours – Heard, Read, Said, Typed =-.
A blogger romance! I love it!
And I have to admit, I am a little jealous!
But I will see you both in August.
Any chance of a threesome?
=)
.-= Sophia’s Mom aka The Wannabe WAHM´s last blog ..Things Husbands Do =-.
My, my. This is a FAMILY friendly blog. A threesome? Disgusting!
(I’ll bring my handcuffs just in case)
I smell a scrappy smackdown. Team Mongoose vs. Team Pit Viper or Mothra vs. Godzilla or the Thrilla in Manilla. Why do I get the feeling I might end up standing in that fountain alone?
.-= kelly´s last blog ..I Am About Twenty Years Away From My Full Destructive Potential =-.
I’m bringing my camera and sketch pad so I can document your escapades.
I’d love to be a fly on the wall at that conference. I’ll bet the posts that come in after it won’t reflect what really went on. My guess: various levels of drunkenness, a fair amount of man-bashing, excessive giggling, a lot of talk about the kids, exchanging of beauty tips, and not one word about blogging.
.-= Mark Kerstetter´s last blog ..He Doesn’t Even Know My Name =-.
You know men are invited to BlogHer too…
I can assure you there will be no man-bashing. We’ll be far too busy ogling each other’s boobies.