To Blog or Not to Blog...

Last night was an interesting evening. APK and I met KR and her friends at the National Press Club to hear Ana Marie Cox speak. She was reading from and signing her book Dog Days with proceeds going to fund the non-profit library of the NPC. The well-reviewed book, as she said several times in her opening, was "not at all based on [her experiences in] 2004." She wore a pair of black pinstripe dress pants with a black vintage MTV shirt that showcased the tattoos on her upper arm, and definitely looked and spoke exactly as we hoped she would, unpretentiously cool. APK thought she looked like Kirsten Dunst.

Funniest answers:

Question to Ana: Have you read Jessica Cutler's book [The Washingtonienne] and, if so, what did you think of it?

Summary of Ana's response: She's not read her book because she read Jessica's material for the book on her blog as it happened. She wished Jessica well. She's told Jessica is writing a new book, so perhaps Jessica is out there doing some more research.

Question to Ana: What advice would you give newbies to DC?

Summary of Ana's response: A mother once approached Ana to ask what advice she'd give her daughter who was coming to DC to be an intern. "Keep your legs crossed"... [then she answered the question]

After the NPC, we headed to Lucky Bar, because we had heard of a record 3 different groups holding happy hours there: Jewish group, AIDS group, Blogger group. So the blogger group... I'm a bit embarrassed to meet decent writers. People who actually have something interesting to say on a blog. When I started my first blog (Tunnel Light Bright) in July, I intended nothing. I am certainly not the greatest writer nor interesting and plugged in enough to have avid readership. I had recently become single after 3 years and was sick of telling the same stories to each of my friends separately. Plus, by having a place to write about the craziness of a newly single existence, I wanted to enjoy the drama. In addition, I felt that I was being unfair to the people who's blogs I read regularly and commented on. I was reading what they put out there without putting out a piece of myself. It felt a bit unbalanced.

I deleted my first blog and all it's contents in January 2006. I found out that my exfriend and exboyfriend were both reading it regularly. Mainly though, I felt that I was in a different place in my life... a new city, a new job, into a new guy, new friends... and it was a memory of my search to become the person I am now.

I like blogging, but I am definitely not the greatest blogger on the planet. That being said, I am a bit shy around good bloggers. Good bloggers are interesting people with a noticeable writing talent and edginess. I'm a conservative girl from Alabama with a penchant for Burberry and Chardonnay. I write this more as a personal journal than to have my voice heard.

So anyways, both one of the editor's of the DCist and Kathryn were both quite nice. I didn't meet anyone else.

APK and I left to go to dinner at the Daily Grill. Afterwards, I was ready for alone time with APK. Oh what a night.