Last night I: met some great tweople, misidentified 6 people (my bad, sorry), made funny faces at @wajiii then forgot I saw him (doh), didn’t spend any time at all with friends that came to see me (sorry guys), barely saw my husband (love you babe), watched some great presentations, bruised my feet (but my boots looked great) and felt loved and welcome by a big crowd of people at Ignite Portland 4…

Thank you!

Here’s the video shot by Linuxaid (thank you so much for having the videos up SO quickly AJ)

If that’s not enough Cami for you, then swing on over here to see the news story on Ignite.  It’s sure to make you cringe a little…

For those of you interested I’ll get my slides up over the weekend.  I spent almost no time in my bed last night and I’m feeling like it’s nap time.

When I was little I liked nothing better than to curl up in my bed, in a chair, on my mother’s lap and hear a story.  It didn’t matter if it was read from a book, a story from my parents’ childhood or a story made up on the spot.  I loved to hear a story.

That’s something I’ve never forgotten.

When K was born we started reading stories to her immediately.  Telling her stories right away.  I think we started the story telling while she was still tucked away inside my body.

There is something about listening to a story.  Hearing the words from some one’s mouth.  I love the written word, I do, but sometimes nothing will do to inspire, incite, arouse or calm you like the a story told aloud.  Add to that power the energy of a room full of people listening intently and you have an intoxicating mix.

There’s nothing better than a good story.

***

Tonight Mike and I will be heading over to Back Fence PDX‘s October event where we’ll hear 7 stories all based on one theme.  Last time the space was packed and I expect no different tonight so if you want to attend you should probably check on ticket availability nowish…

As Mike was getting dinner ready I walked through the dining room.  There on the sideboard our laptops sat side by side, mine white and appley, his black and PCy.  His computer made some sort of ringing tweety noise and I peeked at it to see if it was email from a friend who was having trouble with a sound system.

It was not.

Instead there was a email letting him know that, regrettably, he had not been accepted to present at Ignite Portland 4.

“Hey sweetie” I hollered “Sorry, but you’re not going to talk at Ignite.”

He was relieved.  Audibly and visibly relieved, but then he asked about me, “Did you get accepted?”

I hadn’t thought that far ahead.

Sure, I’d submitted an idea to present at Ignite… but that didn’t mean anything.  After all, who would really want to hear me talk for 5 minutes on stage with 20 slides about how to “Bluff your way through life or a 5 minute presentation”

No one, that’s who.

So I checked my email… and there it was, the second new mail in the box.  I could see the little preview and it said “Congratulations”

I was flooded by a mix of terror and joy.  Panic and pleasure.

“Oh Shit!”

I picked up the martini I had made moments before and took a giant gulp before opening the email.

“I didn’t get rejected” I said quietly.  I could hear Mike in the background offering congratulations, telling me to call my best friend, suggesting I tell my dad.  Being glad he wasn’t me.

Oh shit.

I need to remember to be careful what I wish for… or more realistically I need to contemplate that my ideas are not always as stupid as I think they are.  Thankfully now that I’ve had time for it to sink in I’m really excited to talk at Ignite.  Oh, and terrified… let’s not forget terrified.

Congrats to all the other IP4 presenters, especially some awesome women I know and love: Betsy Richter, Melissa Lion and Amber Case.

Now tell me ladies… what are you going to wear?

This Saturday I’m going to spend all day… from the very early morning until I’m so tired I want to curl into a little ball, snuggle up and wrap myself in a blanket with my darling husband next to me watching some sort of SciFi program while letting my brain decompress. Which is to say I’m going to WordCamp Portland, and all day conference/ un-conference hybrid for WordPress users and developers.

…Cami looks left…

…Cami looks right…

*chirp chirp*

So yeah… this blog… isn’t a WordPress blog. My other labor of love, Strange Love Live, it’s not hosted on WordPress either.

Yet.

I’m hoping that with what little I know about WordPress now plus the wealth of knowledge I’ll gain on Saturday I’ll be able to set my pages up right. get things squared. settled.

I don’t know how much actual writing I’m going to get done this week as I plan, prepare and ponder my options and solutions. On a positive note you guys don’t have to do anything at all. When the changes are made and all decisions are final I will just point my domains on over where they need to be.

Which will be there… somewhere… elsewhere on these interwebs.

Yet.

Thinking back to Friday night, when we recorded a Tech episode of Strange Love Live closely followed by an afterhours episode, it’s a bit of a blur. My memory, as well as my judgment may have been clouded by BACON.

(bacon dessert)

Check out the Tech episode, we talk with Scott Kveton about OpenID, OAuth, Vidoop and a few other things as well:

Then tune into this little gem I like to call Strange Love Live: Martini Wishes and Bacon Dreams.

As always you can listen to the show here, download them or subscribe so that you can always be the first to know when we’ve released a new episode…

***

Join us Friday September 5th at 10pm for another live episode of Strange Love. Our next guest is a favorite Portland Person of mine, Betsy Richter. She’ll chat us up about Our PDX and then we’ll go wild.

If you’re in Portland and at a loss for things to do today then you aren’t looking hard enough…

Here’s how we’re spending our Saturday!

Portland Pie-Off #mmmpie

3pm at Washington Park. Check out the upcoming page for details.

Why am I going (aside from a tiny hope that I will get to taste some of this amazing pies)? To meet & see all the twitter peeps I wouldn’t normally get to see. Pie brings everybody out of the house!

Then I’ll have a few precious moments of down time (5 minutes ought to do it) before Missburrows comes knocking on my door. We’ll have a snack, doll ourselves up, laugh at each other (like we do) and then head out the door to the Anti-Prom Benefit. I talked about this event last week and I hope to load some photos up on my flickr page before the weekend is over.

The Anti-Prom is happening 8pm-1am. For details go to the upcoming page.

Hope to see you somewhere!

I wouldn’t call myself a cool kid…

really I wouldn’t and if you’d ever seen pictures of me in my early teens you would understand why…

I seem cool from time to time now but if you understood my roots…

It’s just that…

Oh to hell with it… This is what I looked like at 13

Note the deep tan on my arms that did not make it to my face. Revel in my huge glasses. Mock the hair that took an hour (or more) to curl and style… though that’s my natural hair color… Check out the incredibly posed elbow on the piano. Make sure to remember that Cami does not play the piano… oh yes… I was a big ol dork!

But I’ve moved on… I’m past that… because Wednesday (that’s today for those of you who read promptly) I’ll at the very least be where the cool kids are. It’s a big event day here in Portland and I’ll be on top of things.

First by heading over to cube space for the Silicon Florist Lunch 2.0 and Birthday Extravaganza where Rick Turoczy is going to be hosting a ton of people for the ever popular lunch sensation. What will we do? What will we talk about? Who will be there? Who knows, but it’s sure to be a lovely time.

Then after a little time to rest and regroup I’ll head over to Urban Grind NE for Back Fence PDX, an amazing evening of story telling hosted by Melissa Lion & Frayn Masters (The Back Fence Babes).

Then… well then the very best thing of all… then I will head to the most exclusive party in all of Portland, a sleepover at my house. I only invited one person, the coolest guy I know. Boy I’m sure hoping Dr. Normal can make it.

Have a great Wednesday everybody, I think I will!

xoxo – CamiKaos

I had a great need for a white shirt or two and time really mattered.

Since I don’t drive and hopping the bus downtown would not have worked into my schedule I was left with waiting for Mr. Kaos to take me shopping one evening… let’s just say that wouldn’t be on his list of things to look forward to.

But it occurred to me last night just before I drifted off to sleep that there is a women’s clothing consignment shop a few blocks from my house. I’ve often noticed cute things in their window but for one reason or another I’ve never bothered to stop by…

Until today that is.

After picking K up from her music camp she and I took a stroll down to The Silver Lining to take a peek around. I figured it couldn’t hurt. Worst thing to come of it would be that K and I had a lovely little walk in the summer sun, found nothing and strolled back home. Best case would be that I was able to find a white polo shirt and some khakis to wear to Camp Naughty.

The store was open and welcoming. I expected it to be darker and for the clothing to be more jammed together but it wasn’t. The shop was light and airy and the clothes were in wonderful condition, wrinkle (and lint) free and displayed wonderfully. I quickly found 2 white shirts to try for camp and then as I moved along into the store found a rack of khaki pants. I picked up a pair of capri’s and a pair of long pants and moved along. Excellent. Goal met…

Hoping that they’d fit I moved toward the dressing room when black and white silk caught my eye. I found a lovely dress, then another, then another and then a fantastic black skirt just past knee length. I couldn’t just leave them there so I took pity on them and took them into the dressing room with me.

First I tried on the white shirts, they both worked and since they were very different and it was too hard to choose between them I took both. This camp counselor will have two shirts to choose from. I tried on the khaki pants with them (I’ve been assured by my husband that khaki pants are a must have for camp and since I never went to camp as a kid I was forced to believe him). The capri’s didn’t sit right so I decided against them, the long pants on the other hand did some lovely things for my ass so I decided that I would be wearing them to camp. Next it was the dresses…

Let’s just say I didn’t buy any of them and move on shall we?

But the skirt? Oh the skirt… don’t be surprised if every time you see me this summer you see me in that skirt. It was made FOR ME. It is wonderful and perfect and I love it. That skirt and I? We will be very happy together.

I was feeling good. K (who had been with me the entire time singing about a flower she found on the way to the store) had been patient but it was clearly time to get her back to the house so she could move on to more summery activities. I returned the clothing that didn’t work to the shop keeper and then handed her the items that I did want to buy. I was almost out of there. I was spending just over $50 on 2 shirts a skirt and a pair of pants, all lovely, all high quality, all great brands. They all fit great. I was wincing a little of course because I wasn’t planning on shopping for clothes at all but still, I was confident in my purchases… that’s when it happened.

“You saw the room of shoes in the back right?”

I stared blankly at her. Had I heard her right? There was a room in back full of shoes? Surely such a heavenly place couldn’t exist… I smiled, shook my head and indicated that I’d be right back. It was indeed a room of shoes. A small room of them, but a room none the less. I looked for the shelf that said 6 1/2 and then for the shelf that said 7.

Phew.

I breathed a sigh of relief after trying on a few lovely pairs that would be a great addition to the floor of my closet. I stepped away from the shoes knowing there was nothing there in my size that I had to have and was just turning to go when I saw it…

I checked the price tag, I winced, I set it down.

I looked at the purse I was carrying. I thought of the purses I have at home. I thought about the big red leather purse I didn’t buy last week because it was too expensive.

I thought about how much this purse cost when it was new.

I picked it back up and opened it. I looked inside. I examined every inch of the $25 dollar beauty while telling K to stop trying on the strappy high heels that are so irresistible to children.

“Let’s go” I said to K, purse resting comfortably, naturally, perfectly in my hand. I set it on the counter and had a moment of doubt and then pushed it towards the shop keeper. “No shoes I needed, but I love this purse” She smiled and told me that people bring in the absolute best shoes and purses…

I was content knowing that I was shopping with a social and environmental conscience today by buying 2nd hand, buying locally and walking to the store. I was taking recycling a step further than just adding my recyclable items to the bin.

I paid and walked out smiling with my purchases and then admitted to myself the real reason I had to think twice before buying the purse…

Mr. Kaos… let’s just say he’s not as big a fan of purses as I am.

At all.

Still, I’m hoping the fact that he won’t have to spend his evening driving me around to look for shirts will help to soften the blow just a little.

I’m working on a very long post…

But it totally isn’t ready yet. It’s taking a lot of thought, consideration, music, a nice glass of wine… you know… I need to seduce the post. Get it in my good graces. Get it to do all the work for me and then maybe climb into bed with me…

But the post and I? We aren’t quite there yet. We’re taking our time. Getting to know each other. Making sure we’re a good fit, this post and I. I don’t want to rush into things…

So instead of finishing that post I’m going to go to bed early and get my beauty sleep so I can be my bright and snarky self at Ignite 3. There’s A lot of information I’ll have to retain. A lot of people to say hello to. And then there’s the fact that I’m going with MissBurrows so I’ll probably have to spend most of the evening trying to get her to stop touching me…

Why (oh why) am I writing about Lunch 2.0 at Vidoop?

that’s a tech thing

you might say…

Cami’s gone geeky

you might complain…

Yes yes… you’d be right on both accounts, but in all fairness they fed me bacon and gave me this lovely parting gift:

(Which I promptly gave to my daughter and then had to borrow back to get this picture)

So Cami’s easy… a free hardhat and bacon wrapped goodness plus a room full of interesting people totally warrants a mention on my blog:

A few hours before Lunch 2.0 started I ventured downtown to meet my friend at our prearranged super secret meet-up spot. Then it was time for some shopping and aimless wandering before heading over to Backspace in preparation for the big event.

Then… in no time at all it seemed… we headed upstairs to the Vidoop office to attend the event known to many as Lunch 2.0… but in our house it was called… well really we called it Lunch 2.0 as well, so never mind.

The masses gathered in the brick lined room. We crammed together. Sweaty from the heat we waited patiently for the bacon wrapped dates stuffed with blue cheese…

And then? There was some talking.

Some talking that was pretty darn informative, though I had already grilled a friend the week before and forced him to explain to me exactly what it was Vidoop was all about (in case there was a test).

Am I going to tell you what they said? No. Am I going to tell you who said it? NO.

It was a free event. You could have gone. You chose not to.

But after a mere 5 minutes of talking (with me standing in the very back on my tip toes peeking between peoples’ heads) they suddenly gave* us hardhats (some of us anyway) and told us to eat up.

And so we did.

And then there was MUCH more talking amongst ourselves. MUCH. And many many people to meet… and here is where I must interject that I thought it would be a lovely idea to have a little calling card, so to speak (though with no number to actually call… I don’t know what to call it). I thought What a LOVELY idea, a card to let people know who I am and what I do. And so I made one. And then I showed it to Mr. Kaos and he said…

Come on Cami, no one uses cards anymore… don’t bother, it’s just a waste of paper…

And he was sooooo right… except for the 62 million people that asked me for my card over the 90 minutes I was there.

My husband? So out of the loop. So I thought since I didn’t have my card with me yesterday I would bring it with me today, here, to this post. Would you like my card? Why here it is:

So mostly? It was eating, trying not to talk with my mouth full, drinking soda (not Cherry Coke) and telling people politely that I didn’t have a card but trying not to blame my husband (whose fault it clearly was) who was alternately standing across the room or snuggling up to me.

Then we left.

And that boys and girls? Was Lunch 2.0 at Vidoop.

* No one gave me a hardhat, but they said we could have them and it was totally just sitting there on the table next to where the bacon wrapped, blue cheese stuffed dates (or were they prunes) were before we devoured every last scrap.