I'm going to Blog On 2014....and it'll be very different this time....

 

Blog On 2013 was in July. At this point 2 weeks beforehand I was getting ready to attend my first ever blogging conference, excited and nervous.  I'd bought a new frock, packed goodie bags with Laura and then the proverbial hit the fan for us in a huge and forever way - my partner got Meningitis.

My partner out of immediate danger and home from hospital I went to Blog On. I left my 2 little boys with their 5 teenage siblings, with one teenager responsible for her Dad, including regularly waking him to drink water and checking his temperature every hour as his body couldn't regulate it yet. I had money for a quick taxi home just in case, and various other back up plans. At that point he was only awake for a couple of hours a day so in fact he slept the entire day and wasn't really aware that I'd gone anywhere.

I didn't realise until afterwards just what a mess I was. I was absolutely shattered and drained and really desperately needed that time off. I wrote another post about how great Blog On had been, I carried on doing my best to keep everything together and then another month later I broke my leg. The latter half of 2013 vanished into a blur and while it seemed to last an eternity at the time, I have very little memory of most of it - reading that post is like vaguely remembering a dream I once had.

My apologies to anyone who I met and don't remember this time...and please say hello and don't hold it against me. And anyone who I met who doesn't remember me - it's a win!

Blog On 2014 will be different. I will be there in body AND mind. I will remember the faces and names of people I meet. I won't be nipping out to ring home every hour and I won't be so tired that I try to get off the tram after one stop because I'm convinced I'm on a bus.

In case you wanted to know a bit more about me, Laura has put together a few questions, so here are my answers....

Name - Jenny
Twitter - @thebrickcastle
facebook - The Brick Castle
Location - North Manchester
Kids - 7 of them. They're everywhere, making my living room look a mess.
Favourite Food - Proper mushy peas, in fact, black peas.
Tea or coffee - Coffee, I have a dislike of tea.
Cat or Dog - Dog, I have a dislike of cats
I'm Left handed
Dietary requirements - Veggie since I was 13.
Special talents - I can sing the whole of 'Up The Junction' by Squeeze however drunk I am.
Describe Yourself In Seven Words - My hair is completely unmanageable - and blonde.
What Is The Best And Worst Thing About Blogging - The record of events is brilliant, the feeling when you've promised someone a post and don't have any time and it's already 2am not so brilliant.
What is the most embarrassing thing you've ever done - This is a family blog!
What will you be wearing at Blog ON - I'll be wearing a dress with a brick effect, so that if I stand in front of a window you'll think I'm floating outside.
What’s your favourite blog post you have written this year so far - This one - The post where someone I didn't know brought an entire street made of LEGO to my house to show us. It was such a stunning and bizarre thing to do, and we've made a great friend because of it - and playing with a 5 foot long street full of LEGO was awesome.
If you choke a smurf what colour does it turn - grey.
While you are here would you like some cake? What kind? - Benny