No, I'm Not Giving Any PERSON the Finger!

I was, however, giving the finger to diabetes -- something everyone I think everyone with diabetes really should do, as its very therapeutic! Seriously, though, I just don't do hand signals very well -- I'd really be stuck if I ever had to learn sign language! I realize my posting is kind of delinquent, but this week was busy at work and I had a lot of stuff to do at home, too, so the blog took a back seat. Anyway, last weekend, I went down to Philly and participated in the TuDiabetes/Diabetes OC Blogger Meet-Up down there.

I should note that my #1 motivating factor for me to actually trek down there was the fact that I have been communicating with the fabulous Betty Jackson for nearly a decade now (since the days of Deb Butterfield's DiabetesStation, which has been out-of-service since 1997). Betty has lived with the type 1 diabetes for over 45 years and serves as a great inspiration for me and many others (incidentally, she's also on TuDiabetes, see her profile here for details), but for a host of reasons, we've never been able to meet, so I decided it was finally about time!


I have enjoyed most of the various meetings I've been lucky enough to attend during the past few years, and I am hoping to attend the 1st Annual New England Diabetes Meetup (check out the "Events" page), which will take place in Waltham, Massachusetts (the town I spent my college years in having attended Bentley College), which will take place on July 12. I'm not sure I'll be able to make that one, as I'll be headed to my family's summer cottage in New Hampshire the following weekend and I'm not sure I can make the trek up there from NYC two weekends in a row, but I'd like to try.

Anyway, although I still lag behind Allison (who I first met at the OC Dinner in NYC over a year ago, but many times since then) in terms of meeting Diabetes OC bloggers face-to-face, I have nevertheless managed to add to a few since my last posting on this subject back in April 2007. So here is my updated list, including where I first met them:

Allison Blass (I already mentioned where above)

Allie (I swear I first met her at the Starbucks across from my office in Westbury, but she doesn't recall that ... its been more than a few times since then anyway)

Amy Tenderich (at the ADA Scientific Sessions in Washington, DC in 2006)

Art-Sweet (at the OC Dinner in NYC)

Betty Jackson (not officially a Diabetes OC Blogger, but that doesn't matter!)

Gary Scheiner (someone else I've known since the days of Diabetes Station)

Gina (at a DTF meeting in NYC and more than a few times since then)

Hannah (at the Philly Meeting Last Week)

Julia & Olivia (at the OC Dinner in NYC)

Kate (at the OC Dinner in NYC)

Kelly Kunik (at the Philly Meeting Last Week)

Kelly Close (when I was in San Francisco in summer 2006)

Kerri (at the dLife Roundtable Discussion and a few times since then)

All I can say is that the Philadelphia OC Community rocks!

Even though I was sort of weirded out about trekking all the way down to Philly to go out to Applebee's, it turns out we just about had the place to ourselves and the company more than made up for a chain restaurant!

Although I planned to visit Marrakesh since I'd been there with a group of friends when I lived down there and it is one of my favorite restaurants there (especially for a group), I wasn't sure anyone else would want to go, but it turns out most of the group decided to re-convene later in the day at this South Street restaurant (well, a side street away) which was featured in Real World Philadelphia (I discovered it a few years before that show aired, incidentally), and we had a Belly Dancer and way too much food, but Hannah decided to join her as part of the entertainment, which gives you some idea of just how much fun this group is!



Anyway, there I had many other pictures (some of which the others shared, see their links above). Seriously, I know Scott Johnson and some of the Minnesota bloggers have met (see here for the announcement, I couldn't find the photos, maybe Scott will help me out with that), and we're working on a national meeting, but seriously you guys out west and elsewhere in the country REALLY need to do this -- I cannot recommend it enough!