Friday Playdate » Blog Archive » this is a pitch, but I was NOT paid to write it

On Monday morning, my cell phone rang. When I answered it . . .

No, let’s go back. On Monday morning, I was in the condiments aisle at SuperTarget, trying to find garlic in a little jar. The boys were with me and were biding their time until they could go look at toys, but they had been doing that for a while so they were ready to roll. While I was standing there, my cell phone rang.

No, I need to go back further. Over the weekend, at BlogHer, I lost my voice. It was a combination of too many drinks and too many loud places and too much talking, but I was barely croaking along on Monday. Also, I was coughing a lot, which might indicate that the whole thing was illness related and not conference related.

So there I am, looking for garlic with the boys, hissing at them in a whisper to STAND STILL, when my cell phone rings. And I answer it, even though it’s not a number I know because you NEVER KNOW who MIGHT be calling and I would hate to miss some free shoes or a free pedicure or George Clooney.

It was none of those things, sadly. Instead, it was the editor of a Very Big Magazine, who wanted to talk to me about doing some writing for them. In the condiment aisle at SuperTarget, with the kids and no voice.

I said sure, let’s talk. And I gently herded the boys to the Lego aisle and talked to the nice editor, who told me very precisely what I need to do to apply to write for her and asked if I could get all these things to her by the end of the week.

Of course, I said. I can do that. No problem.

And then she reminded me to talk about this web site in my letter of application, about how it came to be and what I write about, because she wanted the other people who make decisions about who to hire to SEE the site and get a sense of my voice.

And at that point, my voice said DAMMIT because I was still locked out of my site and unable to post. And my emergency stop-gap redirect to WordPress.com had left me without any archives and only three posts, two of which were about my drinking.

I already owned the domain name, so I quite literally RACED home to get set up with a hosting service. And then I panicked because WHAT IF I LOSE ALL MY ARCHIVES IN THE MOVE TO THE NEW SERVER? Also, how do I move my template? And WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING HERE?

Here’s the point of the story, though: the very lovely Karen Rani of Swank Web Style heard that I was freaking out, IM’d me, and in like three hours yesterday afternoon moved EVERYTHING from Blogger to WordPress, at BlueHost. And now I want to reach through the computer and kiss her on the mouth because she has solved what was for me an unsolvable problem.

Welcome to the new improved NOT BLOGGER-BASED Friday Playdate! The archives are all here; feel free to poke around. I have to go write a letter persuading some people to let me write for them. I think I’ll be fine as long as they don’t expect too much in the way of computer skilz from me.

Thank you, Karen. You’re the best.

25 Comments so far

Hooray! Welcome to your “big girl pannies” blog. You know, you have your big girl panties now. Get it? Hello?

It was nice to meet you. I want your hairstyle. Badly.

Karen DOES rock.

Thank goodness - was clicking all over the internet searching for where you’d landed. This phrase: “had left me without any archives and only three posts, two of which were about my drinking” made my day. Thanks to Karen!

A paid gig! Hooray! Archives! Hooray! *diving in*

Also, yes, Karen has some kind of secret radar. When you have a problem, she hears a little blip in her head and races over to help.

I’m really glad you didn’t tell me all of that before because Dear God I would have panicked in a horrible, horrible way.
I’m glad to have helped.

Those phone calls are the absolute best. Even with the accompanying nausea and faintness. Visualizing acceptance, fame and lots and lots of money coming your way.

I know you are pitching with the lord.

You are such a tease. Hope you get the gig with the Very Big Magazine!

I like the new digs! Congratulations!

Welcome to your new home - looks nice, and very similar to your old one - but bigger.

Good for you! And, thank god the mamazine button made the mighty move. Phew!

Yes, Karen is awesome isn’t she?!?!

It would have been a pity if the VERY Big magazine thought you were nothing more than a chain-smoking alcoholic.

Hurrah! That is wonderful. And I like the new diggs. Sort of like the old place but better.

Congrats on the move (and the call!) — I’m fairly certain the technical trainwreck involved would’ve sent me into fits.

I’m so glad. This is EXACTLY what Kerflop and I did at Blogher. There is a remarkable look of bliss on the face of everyone who dropped their shackles and set their blogs free to self-hosted, WordPress blogs.

You will want to lick the plugin forum at WordPress. Lick it. So sugary sweet.

Way to go Karen *smooch*

Congrats on all the good news!! Let us know when you publish

Congrats Susan!!!

Oh, yay you for Very Big Magazine. Best of luck.

And yay Karen for life-saving efforts.

Was wondering where you got to - I was thinking ‘hmm, it’s Thursday and STILL no post - how hungover is she?’ LOL

Congrats on the new digs and the new writing gig (crossing fingers).

yay for Karen!! Looks great here!

Congratulations! If you ever need a letter of recommendation on your professional awesomeness or ability to accessorize you know where to find me!

PS. Domains scare me A LOT. I actually hear “Lions, and tigers, and bears (DOMAINS!)” in my head.

love the new site.

personally, i am quite scared to get big girl panties:)

Whoo hoo and thank the Lord that you gave Blogger the finger!

tee hee big girl panties. as if you wear any.

How exciting! It was nice to meet you at BlogHer, by the way…I realized after we met that, although I nodded and smiled and thought to myself how much I loved your hair, I don’t think I ever actually said a word to you, which on my end was a combination of meeting so many people that I was just completely and utterly overwhelmed by that point, but…now, considering your vocal problems, it was probably a good thing I didn’t force you to talk!

Very prettiful, as if to expect anything less ;o)

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