Tag Archives: bloggers

June 7, 2012

The Maine Blogger Summit Begins!

By Canadian Bald Guy

Just over a month ago, Sunshine told me that she had helped to arrange a mini-vacation of sorts with two fellow bloggers, T and Jobo. It immediately became a “blogger summit” and something that we were all looking forward to.

Well…today Sunshine comes down to visit me, knocking 2.5 hours off of our 10-hour drive tomorrow (not including stops, of course) as we make our way to Maine. We’re driving down from New Brunswick, while T is flying up from Texas with her man, Gentleman Jack. Jobo and her man, M, are going to be hosting this shindig and don’t have much to travel at all.

Preparations have been made and we’re good for accommodations. Jobo sent out an email “menu” to make sure that we were set for food, which ended turning into an 80+ email trail of fun and good times, a preview of what we can expect this weekend. In addition, Jobo even went out on an adult-beverage shopping trip to help move the weekend plans along…

I’m not much of a drinker, but I get the feeling I might have more than I plan on having when all is said and done.

There are only two things that can be considered even remotely negative right now:

1. I’m sick. I woke up yesterday morning with a major head-cold. It sucks, because I’m really looking forward to this weekend and the last thing I wanted to have to deal with was a runny nose. But I’m 100% determined to fight this thing and kick its ass as quickly as possible. Of course, my nose is already looking like Rudolph’s and we haven’t even left yet. Bah.

2. The weather. This is something that, obviously, nobody can control. Currently, the weather is looking…well…”iffy” at best.

Obviously, this isn’t the hot lay-on-the-beach weather that was hoped for by everybody when the original plan was set-up, but it’s certainly not the worst thing that could be happening.

My thought is that if it rains, we’ll either all hang out inside drinking and eating all weekend (not necessarily a terrible idea) or we’ll drive to Boston for some sight-seeing and touristy stuff (a pretty decent alternative, if you ask me).

At the end of the day, all that really matters to me isn’t whether or not we get to sit under the sun by a lake. All that REALLY matters is that good people are getting together to have a good time, regardless of the weather.

I’m sure there will be updates on this “epic adventure” from time to time on Twitter, as well:

@CanadianBaldGuy

@Momma_Sunshine

@Jobo_Determined

@TsQuest

Maybe we’ll even use a hashtag: #MaineBloggerSummit

I’m sure there will be a TON of photos taken over the weekend, but not all of them will be made public. I mean, SOME of what happens at the Maine Blogger Summit will have to stay at the Maine Blogger Summit…right?

7 comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , | posted in friends, fun

April 24, 2012

The Blogger Summit…Maine Style

By Canadian Bald Guy

Awhile back, I created a Blogger Bingo card to kind of show which bloggers I’d like to meet in real life (the card has changed since I originally posted it, but it’s interesting to look back and see what I said at the time). It was an idea originally shown to me by Depot Dad (RIP, my friend) and it’s one that I still think is a fun meme to follow…especially where there are definitely bloggers out there that I would love to meet in real life.

Well…cross two more bloggers off the list, kids!!

I’m not sure exactly how it all came about, but in June both Sunshine and myself will be driving 10+ hours to Maine to meet Jobo from Determined. To Be… and her man, M. Not to be outdone, T from Life as a Classroom will be flying up from Texas with Gentleman Jack!

Yes…a blogger summit in Maine to put all others to shame!

I think I started reading Jobo’s blog after she and Sunshine became friends. Don’t ask me how long I’ve been reading because I couldn’t tell you, but it’s been about a year or so. She’s a great spirit and is graciously hosting this summit. I’m looking forward to testing some of her giant wine collection (even though I’m not a wine drinker, I may see how things go…NO promises!).

Now T is someone I’ve been “blog friends” with for a few years now. I think I discovered her blog from SingleMomSeeking, if I recall correctly. About three years ago, I split with Sunshine briefly (for about two months before realizing what I had right in front of me). T was there as a friend and an ear to my problems during that time. She really helped me get through a rough patch and help me see things a lot clearer. I’m very much looking forward to meeting her and her man, who shares a lot of similarity with me in a lot of ways (except physically, cause dude is JACKED). Both Sunshine and I are extremely happy to know that they are flying up to hang with us crazy Canucks and some Maine folk for a couple of days.

So the countdown is on and the excitement is building (though I need to come up with a catchy title for this meeting). I better start making that 80′s party mix!

9 comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , | posted in friends, fun

December 15, 2010

Can A Stripper Be A Teacher?

By Canadian Bald Guy

What if you came home from school and found out that your child’s favorite teacher had been fired?  You would probably feel bad for your child because good teachers are hard to find.  You’d then probably want to follow-up and try to find out why the teacher was let go.

What if you found out that the teacher had been a stripper before becoming a teacher?  Would that change your opinion of the teacher?  Why?  Do teachers need to have higher standards in order to be good instructors for our children?  Are they not allowed to make adult decisions in their personal life as long as it does not affect the children they are teaching?

What if you found out that the teacher had also been a prostitute trying to make ends meet and pay for her schooling.  Does this now completely alter your view of the teacher and their ability to do their new job in a professional manner?  Would you want this teacher fired from her job for using behavior unbecoming of a teacher?

What if you found out that this teacher had tenure?

What if you found out that the only way people found out about this situation was because she BLOGGED about her past?

Melissa Petro

Melissa Petro is an interesting case.  Do I judge her for what she did?  Perhaps.  Do I think she’s any less qualified to teach my children whatever itinerary is provided to her by the school that she works for?  Not at all. I mean, it’s not like she’s going to talk to kids about what it’s like to have sex for money.  It’s not like she’s going to tell wild tales to kids about stripping in Mexico.

Melissa Petro

How much should we judge the pasts of people?  Can they not change?  Are they not allowed to make mistakes and start over?  And if the only people they were hurting were themselves, who are we to judge them as people TODAY?

I’m not sure how good this teacher is.  I’m not sure if she’s adequately qualified to even BE a tenured teacher.  But for the sake of argument, let’s say that she is.

Should that change anything?

4 comments   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in Thoughts on stuff

December 9, 2010

The Blogger’s Roadblock

By Canadian Bald Guy

Most of us bloggers initially started writing because we had something to say (well…duh!).  Most of us “single parent bloggers” started writing because we were unhappy with out lives in some way or simply wanted someone to talk to…unidentified, unknowing, unjudging…almost like a combination of wanting to write a diary and a need to find others like it so we can not feel like we’re alone anymore.

So what happens if you find happiness?

It’s funny…I’ve read a lot of blogs over the past couple of years that have drifted off into the abyss or have completely changed their direction simply because they weren’t single anymore and weren’t unhappy.  As you can probably imagine, a single parent has a LOT more time to blog when the kids are asleep and they’re home alone.

There are times when I hit a block…unable to click my fingers or my laptop in a way that satisfies me creatively.  And after two years of writing, I feel obligated to write something every weekday (whether that feeling is justified by my reader stats or not).

I’m not unhappy in my life anymore.  Well…at least for the most part.  Sure, life isn’t perfect…but writing has helped me become a better person. The way I see the world is through much different eyes now than it was just a few short years ago.

Thankfully, I’ve never backed myself into a corner by saying that this blog is only about being a single parent.  It’s not called “Single Dad Bald Guy” for a reason.  I mean don’t get me wrong…being a single parent is a HUGE part of my life.  But if I do happen to stumble across a writer’s roadblock, I can just write about a movie or the latest TV show that I’m into.

There have been a lot of single mom writers who we’ve “lost” over the last year or two and that’s depressing…but it’s not necessarily a bad thing for them.  They’re happy, no longer single, and simply don’t have that need or urge to write about their trials and tribulations anymore.  What you have to keep in mind is that sometimes life just gets in the way.

“Real life” is the blogger’s biggest roadblock, even though it’s the initial reason for blogging.  Who would’ve thunk it?

6 comments   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Thoughts on stuff

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