A Meeting of the Minds (Now With Cocktails!)

A couple of months ago (when I was at the end of my doctoral time warp), a very exciting thing happened.  Something for which I was planning the perfect outfit for WEEKS.

Are you ready?

I met my internet BFF (and blogging sensation) in person.  IN PERSON!  That's right, Dr. Rebecca Branstetter of Notes From the School Psychologist and I (and her fabulous husband and Mini Mimi) had lunch together.  Face to face.

It was very east meets west.  Very Julie/Julia.  Very modern day Thelma and Louise minus the long drive and that bit at the end.  Long story short, it was very fabulous.

Friends, this woman is even more phenomenal in person.  PHE.  NOM.

Now, you may not know this about Mrs. Mimi, but I have a history of serious nerves before meeting education-related idols.   I mean, remember when I met Bryan Collier??  Can you say "stammering idiot"?  At the time, I probably couldn't, but now?  Um, yes.  Yes I was. 

Then there was the time I was invited to Diane Ravitch's book release soiree.  Okay.  Maybe "invited" is a strong word.  It was more like a friend of mine actually got an invitation and figured it would be kosher to sneak me in have me show up at the door with a big smile on my face.  Being fabulous, Ms. Ravitch was nothing short of lovely.  Me on the other hand?  Well, I was about a zillion months pregnant (complete with bloat-y face that some people refer to as a "glow") and wearing my only truly decent book-launch-party-with-your-idols-and-other-genius-people outfit.  (Read: sweating like I've never sweat in my life, like the ride in the elevator was not pleasantly temperature controlled but actually forty flights of stairs, like...well, like a pregnant person at a crowded party.  Ladies, am I right?)  Not only was I Sweaty VonPitstains, my friend and I were also The First Ones There.  Cut to me trying to sound intelligent as I gave the nutshell version of my dissertation that I had yet to perfect.  Not amazeballs, people, not amazeballs.  But again, Ms. Ravitch WAS amazing and shortly we were engaged in a very interesting conversation during which I kept thinking to myself, "Holy crap!  I am talking education with Diane Ravitch and a mocktail...how is this happening?!"  I won't even go into when she introduced me to Deborah Meier...let's just say I managed to hold my own...somehow. 

Should I have called, "nerd alert" before forcing you to read that last paragraph?  Perhaps. 

Anyhow, in true form, I was sweating like crazy (except this time it was that my-stroller-seems-enormous-in-New-York-City-restaurants-but-I'm-trying-to-seem-casual-with-all-my-baby-gear-and-heels) when I met Rebecca.  Of course, she ooohed and ahhhed over the Mini and we had some initial standard conversation.  And then.  AND THEN...let the education banter begin.  (I felt a bit sorry for her husband who could not have been nicer but probably was o.v.e.r. the school talk.)  Suddenly, it was like we had been brunching for years.  Before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye.  As I drove away, I felt really thankful for this blog, for my readers and the opportunity to make (and meet!) such special people like Rebecca.