So I went to this blogger-reader mixer last night…

and had a wonderful time.  Most times, the interaction between bloggers and readers is limited to a nickname commenting on the text written from someone with a photo headshot (or in my case, a photo with a camera in it).

So it’s great to meet my fellow bloggers and blog readers at Times Union mixers like the one held last night at Dale Miller.  See, we’re not just bloggers – we’re readers as well. And it’s not like we all hang out at the local rec center every Thursday night and play pickup handball games or competitive Parcheesi.  But at events like the “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” screening, it had all the vibe of seeing people whose work you enjoy reading – as well as people whose posts you automatically approve without even looking at them.

For me, some of the best moments last night included:

• Talking local history with bloggers/historians Susan Holland of Historic Albany Foundation, and with Schenectady historian Don Rittner.  We all had a good laugh when I suggested that Susan try to have 810 Central Avenue restored to its original glory.
• Chatting with Greg Aidala and Amanda Talar before the event started – and before they had to step behind the various bars to serve us thirsty patrons.
• Hanging with Tony Barbaro before the event started, and watching as Amanda Talar took her quick-cram course from the bartenders in how to mix drinks.  She had no problem making my beverage.  Diet colas aren’t exactly level 6 mixology.
• Spending time with Teri Conroy and Freddie Dunn, and as I’m talking with Freddie, I suddenly heard a bleating goat, as loud as can be, right in my ear.  Almost knocked my glasses off.  Turns out Teri was demonstrating one of her new customized ring tones from her newly-acquired cell phone.
• Sneaking up on Kevin Marshall (and alerting Erin Morelli of the This Is College!? blog, who was standing nearby, to shhh and not make a sound), then signaling Kevin to turn around – only to take his surprised candid picture with the Ansco Cadet that I brought to the event.  Ah, I gotta love that Ansco.  Did you know that the Ansco camera was made in a very small foreign country called Binghamton?  Hee hee hee.
• Talking with the Funnies bloggers, as we discussed the idea of a very special episode of “Dancing With The Stars.”  I’ll share it in a future blog post – suffice it to say it’s going to require a LOT of permission and a LOT of people who have good senses of humor.
• Receiving a special gift from Anne-Marie Sheehan, one of the TU’s many blog readers and supporters.  “I told you as soon as I found this, you could have a copy of it,” she said to me, handing me a manila folder.  I opened the folder – it was a picture of my old high school, Street Academy of Albany, with a shot of a motorcycle speeding along the school’s Clinton Avenue entrance.  What a great gift, and it’s very appreciated.
• As for gifts, I gave Times Union blog boss Michael Huber something for his office cubicle – he now has a print of my “Star Trails of Thacher Park” photograph.  He reminded us that we all had to get nametags so that the readers would know who the bloggers were.  I went to the admissions table and created two nametags – one for me, and one for the Ansco (the tag read “Chuck’s Camera”).
• Having a good laugh with Kevin McCashion of the Tea Party blog about his satirical post regarding the film shown last night and Mickey Rooney’s appearance in it.  Fun stuff.
• Talking with Jeannine Trimboli, who may possibly be joining the TU blog community by writing an exercise and fitness blog.  I let her know that the TU blog community is extremely friendly and supportive, and that I personally would be looking forward to reading her posts.
• I finally got to meet Rev. Alan Rudnick, and we talked a bit about blogging and the use of language that, while once commonplace, is now considered hurtful and should be excised from our vernacular.

It was a wonderful event last night, and I was glad to meet as many people as I could.  I’m sorry that some readers and bloggers couldn’t attend the event, for one reason or another – I only hope that the stars align so that we can meet in the future at another blogger-reader mixer.

In fact, I said to Mike Huber as I left the event, “If you do another one of these get-togethers at Dale Miller and you want me to bartend, I’ll do it – but you gotta show a silent film like City Lights or The Gold Rush.  We could have a silent movie night, and it would be great.”

He said he’d think about it.  We shall see.