10 Things I Learned About Melanie When She Visited Me

November 10, 2018

 

I want the whole world to know, I am the luckiest girl in the whole world.

Seriously! This community is amazing. There are so many incredible people in the book blogger community. SO MANY. Joining this community has opened my eyes to what a wonderful place the internet can actually be. Yes, the internet is often filled with rude, cruel, pathetic Trolls who want to bring us all down. But I choose to ignore them and focus on the amazing, wonderful things the internet provides me: All of you.

Thanks to this community, I’ve made many friends. Over the last year, in particular, I’ve gotten to know a handful of you very well. But, for the first time, I met a friend I made on the internet IN REAL LIFE. This is a milestone in my life. We didn’t meet at a convention. We didn’t meet at a mutual place somewhere in an easily accessible city.

No. The amazing, brave, incredible Melanie @ Grab the Lapels drove to my house in Wisconsin. And we hung out for a weekend! I am still blown away. Yes, we’ve been talking to each other for years. And I feel like I’ve known her forever. But it’s not the same when someone decides they trust you and like you enough to spend a weekend with you.

I am incredibly honored.

To honor Melanie, as she honored me, I’d love to share a few things I learned about Melanie during her visit. It’s the one month anniversary since she visited and this seems appropriate. As I miss her.


 

Top 10 Things I Learned About Melanie @ Grab the Lapels During Her Visit

 

Melanie accidentally matches on the regular.

Melanie accidentally matches, probably on the regular. That maroon color of her glasses? Yeah, every article of clothing she brought contained this color. I kid you not.

 

Birthdays are not a big deal to her.

Melanie and her husband aren’t that big into birthdays. In fact, they are so irrelevant that it wasn’t until they arrived in Wisconsin where Melanie realized her husband’s birthday happened during this trip!

 

She is a fan of Studio Ghibli films.

Yes! She might not be as fluent in them as her husband (<3 you, Nick), but she appreciates them. And thereby appreciated the art we have hanging over our bed in the master bedroom. That is the sign of a kindred soul, there.

 

Melanie is consistently aware of the needs of others.

I have never met someone who is so conscious of the needs of others. It’s beautiful. Not only is she consistently aware of those around her and how she is affecting them, but she also remembers the little things. Like, how important my husband’s book is to him, but also how nervous talking about it makes him. She’s a dear.

 

She loves the idea of a farm but is terrified of chickens.

Yup, we visited the farm and she met the chickens. Now, it was mid-October when they visited, so the farm was winding down here in cold Wisconsin. Despite her fear, Melanie wasn’t afraid to get close with the birds.

 

She is a true midwesterner when it comes to heat.

As in spicy. Brave, brave Melanie let us take her to our favorite Indian restaurant when they arrived. Let’s just say David and I have a much higher heat tolerance when it comes to spicy food than Melanie does. XD

 

Melanie suffers from car sickness, but not as badly as David or I do.

Ugh. Being car sick is the worst thing in the world. We even had a chat about who should sit where due to the longer duration of the drive. Melanie was brave, yet again, and was willing to sit in the back seat. <3

 

She has quality taste in board games.

Not only did she bring 5 Minute Dungeon, a game I fell in love with during Science Fiction Fantasy Book Club, but they also brought a new game I’d never heard of: Machi Koro! I am officially addicted to this city building card/dice game. We played games until midnight. No joke.

(P.S. Sorry for texting you at midnight to figure out the name of that game! XD XD XD)

 

Melanie always has a laugh waiting.

Melanie is not afraid to laugh, smile, or enjoy the world around her. It doesn’t take much to make her laugh, and it’s a wonderful thing to hear.

 

She has never read the Harry Potter books.

I get it. Not everyone has read them. But Nick, her husband, has. And I believe they own them all. AND she’s seen all the films. Yes, the first two books are a bit on the juvenile side, but they were written for 3rd graders! Be patient, Melanie. At least read books 1-3. XD

 

 

It was an absolute blast getting to know Melanie and Nick. We are already planning a trip for me to visit them in 2019. Details are hazy, but what matters is the connection we made is staying alive and in person.

I hope to continue this feature, Blogger Love, long into the future. While I won’t get to meet even most of you in real life, I do want to get to know the people behind the blog a bit more. I’m not certain what this feature might turn into, but I’m excited to celebrate the whole book blogger community! Stay tuned!

Believe it or not, I’ve just checked something off my bucket list: Make a friend on the internet, then make them a friend in real life.

Thank you, Melanie, for honoring me with this!


What do you think?

  • Have you made friends on the internet and met them in real life? Share your experiences!
  • What are your favorite parts of the book blogger community? Why?
  • Who are your favorite bloggers? Why? Share their links below!
  • What sorts of things come to mind when you hear “Blogger Love”? What would make this feature meaningful to you?

10 Comments

  • Grab the Lapels November 10, 2018 at 1:41 pm

    Actually, I have not seen a Harry Potter movie! I saw about 10 minutes of the first one. The pop culture references are so woven into our culture that it seems like I know the stories and characters. I read the first book after my aunt loaned it to me, but did not continue the series. Nick owned and read all the novels but has since donated them to Goodwill!

    Did I ever tell you why I am terrified of chickens? My brother had loads of them, and he trained them to chase me! It’s okay, though; I know all your chickens be dead now.

    Can’t wait to see you in 2019!!

    • Jackie B November 11, 2018 at 11:06 am

      Wait. Nick donated his set of Harry Potter to Goodwill?! I mean, I respect getting these books into the hands of kids who might not otherwise have access to them… but… but… Your family doesn’t have a set of Harry Potter at home?! I just. What?

      Anyway, we were talking about the films at one point, but I must have intentionally forgotten that you had only seen 10 minutes. Because, well, you hadn’t read the books. Close enough. 😉

      Ugh. I cannot believe your brother trained the chickens to chase you. Did they do anything when they caught you? Or did they just… hang out? Chickens are tiny dinosaurs, so they are frightening, but they are also completely harmless. Dumbest animals.

      • Grab the Lapels November 11, 2018 at 11:41 am

        Oh, they latch onto your leg with their talons and flap their wings to claw the s**t out of you. Also, pecking.

        • Jackie B November 11, 2018 at 2:52 pm

          XD I am so sorry you have experienced this trauma.

  • Nick November 12, 2018 at 5:51 am

    Despite the lack of birthday plan, I couldn’t think of a better way to have spent it. Thanks for having us!

    • Jackie B November 13, 2018 at 9:48 am

      Of course! You are both welcome any time. 🙂

  • Amanda @Cover2CoverMom November 18, 2018 at 1:09 pm

    Ahhhh Melanie! That is so exciting that you guys got to hang out in real life. I am totally jealous!

    I laughed out loud that she didn’t realize it was her husband’s birthday that same weekend. Did you guys celebrate?

    I’m not surprised that she concerns herself so much with the needs of others. She comes across a really caring person on her blog.

    Did you get her to pick up a chicken?! LOL

    I get carsick too Melanie! It is something that I’ve unfortunately passed down to my children. We always stock up on Dramamine before a trip 🙂

    This post got me very excited for next week!!!

    • Jackie B December 9, 2018 at 10:23 pm

      Neither David nor I could believe the birthday was forgotten, but Nick didn’t seem fussed! XD We did celebrate, a bit — we picked up a cake (he selected Boston Cream Pie) and some beer and played board games all night. It was a lot of fun, even if it meant a late night!

      No, I did not get her to pick up a chicken. That would have been cruel! XD Even I won’t pick them up, though I shouldn’t be scared. I just think they’re a bit on the gross side.

      I’m so excited we got to meet, too! I cannot wait to write my version of this about you. <3

  • Evelina @ AvalinahsBooks November 29, 2018 at 1:45 am

    Oh, it’s Melanie you met! That’s so cool. I love the pic, I’ve never known what she looks like 🙂
    I think I would also be afraid of chickens xD I mean, who wouldn’t be? 😀

    • Jackie B December 9, 2018 at 10:21 pm

      I know, right?! It’s SUPER cool! I think it’s quite brave of Melanie to come visit. I never knew what she looked like either. XD

      I don’t like holding birds, that’s for sure. But I’m not afraid of them. I know I can punt them away with a swift kick if they start acting crazy. They should fear ME! Mwahaha!

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