Fact: Being real-life friends with fellow bloggers makes my world better.
Why’s that, you ask?
Well, many of my blogger friends are food bloggers. That means they like to cook and sometimes it means they like to cook for me.
Since the most impressive thing I make is pasta (from the box) with sauce (unheated, poured straight onto the pasta from the jar) and a very fancy dash of basil (not fresh, the pre-chopped kind from McCormick), I was clearly excited when the delightful Megan was all, “Hey friends, I moved to Brooklyn and I’m ready to warm my house and cook dinner for you.”
OK, fine, Megan. You may cook for me. Go to town.
Megan got hooked up with some Wish Bone dressings, so she made a salad extravaganza for a group of runner/blogger/yoga-loving ladies.
If you’ve been reading this blog for more than 8 seconds you have likely learned that I don’t eat salad. It bores me and I know, I know, I’m just not doing it right, but salad isn’t something I crave and when I see a salad I feel like I’m looking at the results of a lawn mowing disaster.
Or something.
So Megan said she’d make salads and I was thinking, “I can always grab some pizza on the way home.”
Turns out though, Megan makes one mean salad.
Or rather, three salads.
I will now show you pictures of each and describe them for you, because I am obviously a skilled food blogger and I know many food words:
Looks good, right? It was.
There was also some bread (thanks, Susan!) and I had 16 pieces of it.
That cute little elephant is Gatsby. He was very formal and wore a tuxedo to dinner. What a show-off.
So Megan contributed some yummy salads, Susan brought bread, Sofia made cookies…
…and Ali brought these:
Every new home should be stocked with peanut butter-filled pretzels, don’t you think?
Since I’m not drinking until after the marathon, I left the massive wine consumption up to everyone else, and they were clearly up to the task.
(Hi Danielle! Hi Lindsay! Hi Susan! Not pictured: Leslie, who was probably pouring more wine in Megan’s glass.)
I didn’t love not drinking, but I did love that I wasn’t hungover when I woke up today!
Seriously though, I had a great time last night. It was so nice to spend a few hours (many hours, in fact — it was a late night) with like-minded people. We chatted about blogging, we chatted about boyfriends and we chatted about men who are definitely not boyfriends and who send semi-creepy text messages to girls named Susan. Weird.
Thank you, Megan, for hosting a wonderful evening, and thank you blog friends for being even better in person than you are online.
It was hard to tear myself away from the good company, and I didn’t get home until nearly 1 am.
And I had a running date today with Kelly and Lindsay (ahem, others who bailed, you were missed).
I woke up and it hurt to open my eyes. When I finally looked at my phone after snoozing a few times, I was pumped about the weather.
Not pleasant, but not awful.
I told myself it was better to get the run out of the way than leave it for later, so I suited up and scooted out.
Coach Cane’s plan for today called for about 5 miles on the Bridle Path.
Slow miles. Happy miles. Easy miles.
We talked the whole time and attempted to dodge puddles, and I actually really enjoyed the rain. The park was quiet and peaceful and we didn’t see many other runners.
Five miles and a very wet commute later, I’m ready to start my day.
To wrap things up: There are only a few hours left to enter the Erica Sara Designs necklace giveaway! I’ll be picking the winner today at 12 pm EST. Good luck! And thank you so much to everyone who has donated so far. I am humbled and honored.
NOW I WANT TO KNOW SOMETHING: Tell me about the first time you met a blogger in real life! Megan was one of the first bloggers I met and now I’m the lucky one because she runs with me and cooks me dinner. Win for Ali!
0 Responses
mmmm, peanut butter pretzels are the best!
I have not yet met any bloggers in real life. I’m a bit shy. I guess I need to work on that!
visiting NY from Nova Scotia and hoping these crazy t-storms let up (?!) so I can get in a run and have my first experience at 16 handles (this is bucket list worthy, yes?). i’m also raving for a sweat t-shirt… where/when can these be found?:)
I met Lauren from http://www.teamgiles.com and Rachel from http://www.happyhealthyrunner.com at a local 5k race in February. Definitely fun to meet them in real life. Rachel is my long run partner now 🙂
Last night was so fun! I think the first blogger I met was Kim (kilaxstudio) because we were running the same half/marathon and she cheered for me when I passed! And screamed something like, “Yay BOSTON!!” because she knew I was trying to qualify and I had just crossed the finish line…….gotta love bloggers. 🙂
I’m way excited for the “yay bloggers who are no longer in marathon training” party because it will be wine filled with mmm sauce fabulousness.
Oh, and Gatsby says thanks for the special appearance and he wants to know if Handsome friend has any friends who don’t send creepy text messages. He likes to look out for me, what a good little sidekick.
Megan was the first blogger I met too! And I have loved meeting bloggers ever since. We are a fun but, if I do say so myself. I am very sad I missed Megan’s shindig – you guys had a lot more fun than I did, that’s for sure! Hope we can all get together again soon!
The first time I met a blogger friend was at the start line of a half marathon earlier this year. My training didn’t go well and I just wanted to stick with her as long as possible. She paced me to my very first sub 2 hour half marathon and a huge PR and the best part, it felt great! No worries about time or anything, just trying to stick with her 🙂
I would love to meet some bloggers in real life, but I live in Seattle and there don’t seem to be as many bloggers in the Pacific Northwest. It’s still fun reading everyone’s blogs online anyway though!
bahaha “leslie, who was probably pouring more wine in megan’s glass.” or her own, thereby making it impossible for either one of us to get out of bed this morning. i was sad that drunk ali couldn’t make an appearance, but i think we all drank enough for you. next time i’ll be sure to bring lots of mmm sauce to soak up the alcohol.
i met danielle at a strange raw food event at tavern on the green two summers ago, maybe a month after i started blogging. times flies (kinda like the hours last night!)!
One time I’m pretty sure I saw Megan warming up for a NYRR 5k in the Bronx. I didn’t know if it was acceptable to go up and say, “HI, I know all about your life from the interwebs!!!”
I was planning to cover 9 miles in Central Park this morning, but I ended up sleeping in until seven, and I had homework to do for a class at 9 a.m., so….
ahahahaha, i was def already tipsy in that photo. yay, wine! i’m so proud of you for trekking to Brooklyn and trying new foods (like figs!). last night was so much fun! i am still feeling the effects of so much fun, actually. time for some advil…
mmm, sauce.
That photo was taken after roughly the fourth time you said, “I DON’T KNOW WHY I DON’T FEEL DRUNK.”
I love that skirt! Its so pretty!
Two thumbs up in one picture, I’m impressed!!!
I love when friends cook for me. I’ve never had a food blogger cook for me though. I’ve gone out with some food bloggers when they are in town, and it’s so awesome to hang out with others who also do this crazy thing.
Megan – at Coogan’s – I’m pretty sure. Damn Runner’s Kitchen is a popular first blogger to meet!
Wish I didn’t bail this morning as now I’m going to afternoon run all by my lonesome self. At least I’ll have Taylor Swift with me.
Umm the salad with shrimp and the one with nuts look Ah-mazing. I didn’t move but can I throw a housewarming party and pay Megan to cook for me? Or Kelly? Or anyone with kitchen skills?
Ha, mine was Megan too! I recognized her at a Self mag taste testing event in February. And I overheard her meeting Lindsay, but I hadn’t stumbled across Lindsay’s blog before then.
I have yet to meet any bloggers in real life…I think mostly because no one comes to Missouri and I’m too poor to take a vacation. But hey, if you’re ever in the midwest, I’ll definitely cook for you, although your cooking skills probably have mine beat. I’d probably just boil some noodles and maybe offer some butter and parmesan cheese.
My italian mom tries not to claim me.
If I take a vacation to Missouri, you’ll be the first person I call. Or Tweet.
agreed. bloggers are better in real life! 🙂
is the park scary at 6AM now? esp in the rain?
Nope, not scary. And you can always come meet us at 6:15 if you want to start out with some company!
The first time I met bloggers in real life was at a “Boston Brunchers” brunch. This is group for Boston food bloggers and we regularly get together and get free brunch (sometimes free dinner!) It gives us a chance to interact with one another in person and eat really good food! There are still a lot of other bloggers I would love to meet (you included!) and hopefully that’ll happen at some point!
xo Marie
Chocolate & Wine
I love the blogger meet up – you guys look like you had so much fun!! & Good for you for getting out there in the rain (I usually wuss out, and stick to the t-mill).
Cute work outfit too 🙂
Apparently I’m narcissistic and just paid attention to my own wine consumption and monitoring for constant refills to even notice that you didn’t drink last night. Whoops. I stopped drinking for about a month before the race and felt it helped; less hangovers = better running! Super fun night last night, next time at your place and you can make us all dough balls, drenched in mmmsauce. And lots of wine when you can drink again. Though I <3 sober Ali just as much.
Blogging friends are awesome! Looks like a fun night and a fun run this morning!! Where was I? Asleep in my bed…I will be venturing outdoors to splash in puddles…errrr i mean run later 🙂
I LOVE salads…..so i am glad you liked them too-at least for an evening 😉
YOU!!
Yes, you. Or actually, Megan. From Runner’s Kitchen. It all happened the same day. You see, I was racing the NYRR Mini Women’s 10K this June and between miles 3 and 4, I saw Megan on the sidelines. I’m 90% sure I scared her with my snot-filled racing and me gasping out, “MEGAN! HI! I’M GRACE!” … and then about 20 minutes later, I ran into you at mile 5.5, about to finish the race. I could barely speak by then but I was super excited to have seen TWO bloggers in real life.
A week later, I ran a different race (a 5-miler, I think) and went to Dori’s Inten-Sati class that she hosted. Maybe she’s technically the first person I met since I actually had a conversation with her 😉
I want to meet more! Or mostly, I want to be fed by fellow bloggers, too. Anyone? … anyone?
Haha I remember you speeding by me at mile 5.5 and saying hi and I’m pretty sure I panted back at you “Nice to meet you, can’t talk now” because I was dying. The race was a rough one. Still loved meeting you though.
Agreed!!! Corey, LB and Becky have become such close friends of mine and I met them through blogging. Bloggers are awesome : ) Looks like you had a fun night and morning & you should totally write restaurant reviews with those descriptions!
YOU’RE the first blogger I met in real life! And I must say, you’re pretty awesome yourself 🙂
Hoping to dive deeper into this blogging/running/foodie world and meet some more awesome NYC bloggers soon!
Yay! Great day 🙂 Loved chatting with you over scrumptious Pret A Manger sandwiches.
The first time I met other bloggers in real life was at Ashley’s brunch where I tried to contain myself from asking too many awkward questions that would reveal that fact that I followed everyone there’s life (I mean blog..) and instead became that girl who introduced herself as “TheFatBridesmaid.” But, I had a great time, managed to contain most of my star-struck-ness, thought “gosh, I want to be like ALL of the people”, was glad that I branched out, and was grateful for the opportunity!
That weather looks awesome. Send some rain down to Texas, would ya? We are burning (literally) down here.
Your outfit is gorgeous! Have a great day. 🙂
Blog friends are awesome, aren’t they?? I met some for the first time when I went to Bloggers in Sin City two years ago in Vegas. It was pretty awesome. Now, I keep in touch with these girls quite a bit and when I travel to California for work, one of them lives in the next town (weird, right?!) so we get together for dinner. Blog friends ARE friends. And sometimes the ones that get us the most.
Oh fun!! Impressed that you woke up this morning – that’s dedication! Well, I work with a the lovely, talented and beautiful, Lindsay, in real life! She is technically the first blogger I ever met. But, the first one that I didn’t know that I met in real life was Tina, from Carrots n’ Cake. I met her at the starting line of the NYRR Mini 10K – she was just as kind and gracious in person as she is on her blog!
And of course, I met you a few weeks ago at your fundraiser – you were just as hilarious, sweet and fun to be around as you seem on your blog 🙂
Yay for the taper time – I know it’s rough but hope you can use this time to catch up on a little sleep. If I could give one bit of pre-marathon advice, it would be catching up on that sleep during the taper.
You’re almost there!
Woooo loved meeting you! Felt like I had known you forever, clearly.
I’ve met The-girl-who-ate-everything years ago when I was a NYC restaurant food blogger. (b4 kids) And I do want to meet more of ya’ll now that I’m more into healthy living blogging. Hence, why I’m going to go kill myself at Ashley’s vitality class. I’m way pumped.
I have not met a blogger in real life! I am a little shy and feel like it can be difficult to jump into things sometimes!!
so… when are the i<3sweat t-shirts coming in? I WANT ONE REALLY BADLY. kthanks.
Me too me too@@@
Soon enough, my friends. Soon enough. As in, like, tomorrow.
Andddd, what about for us non-NY folk??? Your race (and thus, the end of fundraising, right?) is getting close, missy!
The other runners were at home in warm beds! I can’t stand this weather, but I am envious that you can still get out in it. The first time I met other bloggers was when Melissa from Fitness NYC hosted two meetups back in 2009!