Live And In Person
I’ve returned from a brief trip to LA for a family function. After all the chatting and visiting - and did I mention eating - the relatives went back to work and we lingered for one more day. This is when one of the highlights occurred, and I’m not talking about seeing the King Tut exhibition, ‘tho we did that as well.
No, the Monday highlight came in the form of Wendy Duren (my cp) and her hubby, Tod Goldberg. What a strange experience to finally meet the person - the only person - who has been reading everything I write and to whom I write somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 nonsense emails per day. Yeah, the fact Wendy continues to write back or was willing to meet me was a shock to me too.
Here are some general observations:
- They were as cool, lovely, intelligent (I’m mostly talking about Wendy with this one) and charming in person as they are in writing.
- Wendy needs to revive her blog because we are all missing out by her being on blog hiatus.
- The guy you know from Tod’s blog - and you all read it, you know you do - is the guy you get in real life, except he managed not to use his invented word "fucktard" once in our 5 hours together.
- I feel even more comfortable entrusting my work to Wendy’s hands now that I’ve met her. This wasn’t a question before but for some reason it’s clearer now.
- Go buy Tod’s book, Simplify. Again, most of you read his blog. You’re getting the milk for free so now go buy the cow….or something like that.
- Sometimes the internet works and results in finding someone other than a pedophile to befriend.
The meeting, which my hubby compared to a first date, makes me wonder what the other folks we follow on blogs and buy from bookstores are like in person. I have to wonder if a positive experience is the norm. And, if it isn’t, would we still visit the blogs and buy the books once we figure out the live version of the person is a dork or an ass.
August 24th, 2005 at 10:25 am
Cool, but I don’t think his book is out.
August 24th, 2005 at 10:35 am
The official release date may not have arrived but B&N suggests you can have it in 2-3 days. And there’s always preorder….
August 24th, 2005 at 12:34 pm
Amen to number 2. Wendy, go revive your blog… I miss reading it.
And with regards to the last paragraph of your entry… the live version of me is a dork AND an ass. Just as well no one knows me in person, I suspect:-).
August 24th, 2005 at 1:19 pm
I’ve had very good luck so far with meeting online friends in person. (Mostly that was at a workshop.)
August 24th, 2005 at 2:45 pm
Just for the record, I’m a little more intelligent online than in person, that’s where the disconnect happened. Though it should be noted that I’m also “SexyBeast6969@aol.com” online sometimes as well, but that’s a private thing.
What you need to know about HK and her husband in real life is that they might soon find themselves in counseling over a flat screen TV and the furniture needed to house it and the Tivo. Wendy & I, however, are like peas and carrots, provided peas sometimes have a tourettes-like notion that they need to be heard at all times, and carrots are long suffering.
August 24th, 2005 at 5:13 pm
I’ve had nothing but good encounters when meeting people in real life whom I initially met on-line. So far, from the romance blogging rounds, I’ve met Meljean in person. She’s awesome.
Interestingly enough, Sarah and I have never met…
August 24th, 2005 at 5:30 pm
I’ve been very fortunate so far.
August 24th, 2005 at 10:19 pm
I took a class with Tod at UCLA Extension in 2004. He’s cool peeps.
August 25th, 2005 at 12:08 am
I’m about as dorky as they come, but HelenKay is too nice and too gracious to point it out. She and her husband (he-who-must-not-be-named, apparently) were more than I hoped for. Truly lovely people.
No plans to revive the blog as yet. But, for Ellen, I’ll hum a few bars of “Southern Cross.”
August 25th, 2005 at 7:24 am
He actually does have a name. We can say it, it’s James. I figure he hides it in the event he ever has to quickly escape the marriage and wipe all evidence of his existence from the planet.
I refuse to discuss the plasma TV further except to say it should be noted that Tod did not support me at all in that debate. So, Cherlyn, at the moment I refuse to agree with the “He’s cool peeps” comment. Once I get over Tod’s disloyalty I may be willing to admit he’s not so bad. Just not today.
August 26th, 2005 at 9:05 pm
Now are you saying that Tod totally refrained from using profanity or just that one word? Because if the former, wow, he was really trying to impress you…
You should have cruised out to Pasadena. That’s where all the cool folk are!
August 26th, 2005 at 11:23 pm
Now, Ms. Square, knowing Prof. Tod as you do you must know that he is actually biologically incapable of refraining from the use of profanity for longer than 20 minute increments. He did quite well but asking that he not swear for 5 hours would have been inhumane. But, since I remember threatening to kick his ass at least twice, I really can’t complain about his use of the English language as mine was not exactly stellar.
Next time I’m in LA I plan to appear on your doorstep. In fact, since a Sunday night drive from Pasadena to Santa Monica at 10:30 pm took over an hour thanks to traffic, I may sleep over. You have been forewarned.
August 28th, 2005 at 12:25 pm
As long as you can handle cats…cool!
I find myself relieved that Tod was Tod. In a manner of speaking.