Okay, I’m back and well enough rested to be able to write up something and share some photos from the ProBlogger and Text Link Ads meetup last night at Connolly’s in Manhattan. What a blast!

Dad and I on the train from Poughkeepsie down to the city. I’m dragging him, kicking and screaming (okay, so smiling, too) into the world of blogging!

We left the house around 12:30pm and drove down to Poughkeepsie, hopped on a train, and arrived in Manhattan around 5pm. We meandered a bit, and then found our way over to Connolly’s.

We were a little early, so we had to find our way to where they were hosting our party. Apparently they had 5 parties going on last night, one of which was a man’s 50th birthday, another was some sort of HBO party. Too cool that we were smack dab in the middle of such a neat place! They eventually put out a chalkboard to direct people where to go… it was packed in there!

As people arrived, I got to take a bunch of pics with some of the greatest people! Let me first say that Darren and his wife, “V” are absolutely the nicest people I’ve met in a long time. V and I were chatting together for a good part of the night, and she shared her feelings with me on what Darren’s doing. (Of course, I shared mine as well, and no, Stephanie, I didn’t forget to say that you think Darren’s a ROCKSTAR! )

She was floored at the sight of all these people there to see him - and I explained to her that there are 20,000+ people who are super sad that they weren’t able to be there. She’s extremely proud of him, and rightfully so! And we both have the same affinity for “Wicked” now - which is too cool! (I’m holding off on posting a pic until I get permission - these other guys are expecting it, but I’m not sure if V would expect it, so I want to ask first.)

Lara stopped chatting a locomotive into Darren’s ear to stop for a quick photo.

Darren, V, Dad, and I all got a few minutes to sit together and chat about some ideas for getting Dad deeper into blogging. It was great - because I think Dad walked away from the whole event getting a better idea of the fact that blogging truly is for just about anyone. If you have something you’re passionate about, you can have a blog. It doesn’t matter if you’re a huge conversationalist or not - you just have to be able to expand your thinking to cover all possible areas of the topic you’ve chosen, and you’re guaranteed to find something to talk about. Even if your passion is American muscle cars.

One of the first people to arrive, actually before Darren made his entrance was Aaron Brazell (technosailor and b5media). Aaron is super cool - we talked about everything from blogging for b5 to Alexa to WordPress - you name it!

And last, but certainly not least, I met Patrick Gavin from Text Link Ads. I can’t say enough good about all these people - I just loved this event so much!

(What a cutie he is! Yes girls, he’s taken. LOL)

Patrick was telling me about his move to NYC from Iowa - I can’t imagine the culture shock in terms of lifestyle and living! For those of you who don’t know, I’m a HUGE fan of TLA for both advertising for business/blogs and income for bloggers. H.U.G.E. fan, and now, I’m an even bigger fan of Patrick’s. He’s super easy to talk to, and just one of those people you’re happy to know.

All in all, I’ve got to say that the meetup was a success. Darren, Patrick, Aaron, and others were so much more accessible than you’d think, and it was great meeting and talking to every single person I did. The thing about these guys is that meeting them actually makes you proud of them. Proud to know them, and just thrilled that they’re doing the things they are, not for the benefit of yourself, but for the benefit of the industry. I love these guys!!

Here are some more pics of the crowd - click on the thumbnail to get a better peek.

And one other shot of the view down the street, just because I thought it was pretty:

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I’m so thoroughly excited! As some of you may know, I’m a huge fan of Darren Rowse and his ProBlogger site. I’ve been a loyal reader/follower/commenter/participator for quite some time now, and encourage anyone interested in blogging at all to bookmark, subscribe, what have you as fast as their clicker finger will get them there.

I’m also a huge fan of Text Link Ads, as they’ve helped me monetize my sites with truly relevant links (of my own choosing, essentially), as well as to secure links on relevant sites for my clients (That link includes a $100 in free links promotion!). I’m mad for TLA!

Next Thursday, TLA is hosting a ProBlogger Meetup in Manhattan! Free food, free drinks, and up close and personal time with Darren and the folks at TLA. The coolest thing is that Darren’s Australian, so short of mobbed conferences or huge gatherings that beckon his attendance, there’s little chance to really be able to snag his attention (he’s in high demand, you know!) in person so I’m just really thrilled for the opportunity, and grateful to both Darren and TLA beyond words!

Okay, I know I sound like a raving lunatic here - but as my friend Stephanie from Back In Skinny Jeans just said to me the other day, “Darren is a rock star!” (She noted that he’d likely laugh hysterically at that statement, but I can’t argue with her one bit!)

Alright - enough of the little girl squealing - if you’re interested in meeting up with Darren, the TLA team, and other bloggers (or even if you’re interested in meeting little ol’ me!), here’s the details. Head over to the TLA post and let them know you’re coming!

THURSDAY, March 29, 6:30pm to 9:30pm at:
Connolly’s Pub and Restaurant
121 West 45th St (between 6th and Broadway)
(212) 597-5126 phone
*please note this bar has three locations in the area so use the address above.

That said, if you think you might be able to make it, also let me know here in the comments so I can keep my eyes peeled for ya!

Note: This post contains both referral and natural links.

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It’s unfortunate that this needs to be said, but due to some recent attacks both here and elsewhere on the internet, I’ve decided to write the following post. This is posted in the interest of my clients, and those interested in the services provided by Anubis Marketing.

• I will ALWAYS seek complete and thorough information before implementing anything on a client’s site. I am devoted to the fact that my clients deserve nothing but the best in terms of my knowledge and skill.
• Be it full-blown software or a snippet of code, and regardless of whether or not it’s open source, free or paid, I reserve the right to ask a question of the creator, especially when all other avenues of seeking complete information have failed.
• I have never, and still do not hold issue with paying for support or outside help with a project. It’s been done before, and will be done again. For the interest of my clients, I will make sure that the person or company that I trust to help is reliable and knowledgable.
• I believe that simple questions with simple answers deserve to be handled with respect and understanding. Never should they result in “flame wars” or personal attacks on one’s intelligence or credibility. They should especially not result in harassing phone calls and suggestions of violence toward someone based on their thoughts or opinions, or their lack of pre-existing knowledge. Not everyone can do everything perfectly - and just as we learn, we have a responsibility to be grateful to our teachers, and a willingness to teach others.

No matter what, my clients deserve nothing but the best - whether I need to pay for it or not. I’m not above it, and will always support those who continue to share their knowledge and experience with the world both financially and verbally.

Thank you,
Lara

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FOR RELEASE - October 1, 2006 – HAGAMAN, N.Y. - Anubis Marketing, a Web
design, development and Internet marketing company announces their one
year anniversary… (press release)

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