Meet the LV's Interesting Bloggers

I was so caught up talking to everyone at last night's Express Times' Blogapalooza, across the street from the steel stacks at South Bethlehem's ArtsQuest Center, that I completely forgot that I was really there to see a damn movie. By the time I made it down the hallway, the show had already started. So I missed the movie, but it was worth it. Not only was I amazed by the sheer number of bloggers who came, braving predictions of icy roads, but their variety just stuns me. Let me give you your own personal tour de blog.

The Most Courageous Blogger I now know is a fifty pound featherweight. A Moravian College sophomore named Shane, he suffers from Spinal Muscular Atrophy. I'll spare you the medical terminology and just tell you it's going to kill him. In fact, the very first sentence of his blog reads, "I will most likely be dead before I turn 30." But his blog, Laughing at My Nightmare!, does just that. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, he finds reasons to laugh and enjoy life. Instead of being depressed, his well-written blog gives me faith, not just in him, but in all of us. Maybe we're not so bad after all.

This dude had all the babes, too.

Speaking of babes, one attractive woman was snapping pictures throughout the event with such a fancy camera that I thought she must be an Express Times photographer. But instead, it was Deb Boylan, who chronicles the antics of the Lehigh Valley Roller Girls from her blog, The Corner Seat. Deb and I have been Facebook friends for some time, but I never even knew she had a very active blog until last night. Naturally, I hit on her, and about three seconds later, found myself in the Steel Stacks, writing, "I will most likely be dead before I turn 61."

As you might have guessed, there's a lot of intensity and energy in Deb's blog.

After pulling a few shards of steel out of my ass, I sought medical attention. Fortunately, a nurse was in the house. A R.N. at a nearby hospital, she calls herself A Writer in a Nurse's Body. I asked her for some help and she told me I need an undertaker, not her. She's working on her first book, which I hope is a novel, and not some scientific study of bottom-feeding bloggers.

Aside from a nurse, numerous local bloggers preach the merits of healthy living. Case in point?  How about vegan Jaime K's blog, Save the Kales? I love her review of Pho #1, a Vietnamese restaurant in Allentown specializing, not surprisingly, in Pho, a Vietnamese beef broth soup that explodes with flavor the moment it hits your palette. But Jaime incorrectly reports it's pronounced "fuhh." Actually, as someone whose grandson is half-Vietnamese, I can tell her it's more like "fah." I pointed this out to her, and the next thing you know, I found myself in the Steel Stacks again, pulling more shards out of my ass.

As you've probably surmised by now, there was an unusually large contngent of attractive women at this event. No doubt, they heard I was coming.

Another chick magnet showed up, too. Allentown blogger Michael Molovinsky, sporting an Adlai Stevenson tie clasp, came against his better judgment, after I begged him. Michael, as you know, sometimes gets irritated with me. I don't know why.

He's something of a germ phobe, and the first thing I did was sneeze all over him. Then, to make matters worse, I asked him to pose for a picture next to Johnny Sized, who's writing about his daily adventures in trying to become half of himself. Right as I was snapping the picture, Johnny told both of us he was just getting over a staph infection.

Once again, I found myself in the Steel Stacks, pulling shards out of may ass.

After making my way back to the ArtsQuest Center, I noticed that Molovinsky had gone, but Noël (with an ë, damn it!) Jones was there to discuss her popular Neighbors of Easton. Noël (with an ë, damn it!) nd I are quite friendly, so I went up to her, hoping to find at least one friendly port among this storm of bloggers.

"You supported the Charlie Chrin TIF," she snarled.

Next thing you know, I was in the Steel Stacks again, pulling out a few more shards. And now, the ice was pelting me.

Then I saw George Wacker, whose Lehigh Valley With Love is among the funniest in this area. Naturally, he found the beer, which made him an instant hit. He and I, believe it or not, taught Lehigh University students about blogging for one hour. Can you imagine spending $40,000 to have your child schooled by two morons?

I pointed that out to Wacker, adding innocently, "Looks like Lehigh Valley With Love has a Lover. How much?"

This time I just threw myself into the Steel Stacks.

Finally, I met the one blogger who would understand me and would not toss me into the Steel Stacks. Chris Casey, one of the blogging pioneers of the Lehigh Valley with LVPoliblog, agreed to pose with me, and Molovinsky came back to take our picture.

Then we all kissed.

The end.

But maybe not, according to Alyssa Young at The Express Times. They are considering hosting more of these in the months to come.

Updated 1:20 PM: Check out The Express Times coverage of more than 30 bloggers at last night's event.