Meet My Friend (and Pardon My Bragging)

Last summer, I went to BlogHer in Chicago. A side effect of staying at the hostel (beyond saving a fortune) was the lucky coincidence of sharing a room with Jennette Fulda.

The humble Jennette would never be all Braggy McBraggerson about this, but she's one of the funniest and most inspiring people I've ever met. When we met in the registration line at the hostel, two random female adults in a sea of youth groups and boy scouts, I asked what she blogged about. When this lovely, fit woman answered "weight loss" I seriously wondered if she wasn't a bit obsessive. I would never have imagined that she had lost HALF HER BODY WEIGHT with a healthy diet, exercise, and online accountability.

It took a whole day to find that out. During that day, people swooned to be in her presence. It turned out my new friend was a celebrity blogger. Late on day two, after I'd been blathering on about a small print writing contract I'd been offered (unlike Jennette, I wear the clan McBraggerson plaid) Jennette made the smallest mention that she'd similarly been tapped by an editor to write a full-length memoir.

Her book, Half-Assed, is now available, and Jennette's great humor is now available to the general public in print as well her blog. She is the book's cover model (wearing her old fat pants).

Her book is getting great attention; You can see her discuss it on this Sunday's Today Show. Check your local listings for times.

Congratulations, Jennette! Jim and I are bloated like obese puffer fish with pride in your accomplishments as we know you're humbly downplaying all this (and we love you for it).