On blogging, media and the OBF

One more day and I’m off to the Oregon Brewers Festival; like last year, I’m going again with the intent of blogging the experience. (You can read all of my OBF-related stuff on The Brew Site here.)

What’s different this year, though, is that I, as a blogger, am also recognized as a media/press person; I contacted the OBF press guy and as a result, I get the full treatment: press kit, program, and all. Now I know most media/press folks (and a few pro bloggers) would be entirely blasé about it, but I have to say—I’m incredibly excited about this! Maybe the shine will wear off at some point, but for now, I just think it’s too cool.

I’m also hoping to meet other bloggers and writers, and brewers, and, well, anybody interesting. So I’m trying something new; I’ll have my cellphone with me but I don’t necessarily want to publish my phone number for the world to see and abuse, so I registered a free phone number and voicemail with PrivatePhone—a service from NetZero that seems promising.

How it works is I get a free private phone number, and all calls to it go directly to voicemail. I can check this voicemail via phone or computer.

So here’s the deal; if anyone wants to get a hold of me this weekend, call and leave a message on this number: 360-362-1627. I’ll check for messages every hour or so, and call you back.

(Yeah, I couldn’t get an Oregon area code. What’s up with that?)

I’ll also try to be checking email, but that won’t be happening til evenings, if I get the chance. So don’t rely on that if you want to reach me sooner rather that later.

Off to drink beer and blog about it!