Monday 12 March 2012

Wow. So I'm back. In full swing ... from a string that's strong, but wearing thin ...

Dawn and me in the back of her car
in -16 degree Celsius temperatures! :o) Can't
you see I'm all rugged up?
Right ... where were we?

Um ... yep ...

Oh Canada
With your face sketched on it twice
Oh you're in my blood like holy wine
You taste so bitter and so sweet

Oh I could drink a case of you darling
Still I'd be on my feet
oh I would still be on my feet ...


I had a MARVELOUS time with Dawn in Canada. No, we didn't leave the house much (except when going to her office to do some work -- yep I had to take it with me -- boo), but, oh my gosh, did we get along like a house on fire. Lucky, because we really needed the heat in the blizzardy weather :o)



Yep, it was blizzarding when I arrived and it was blizzarding when I returned. We had planned to go on a trip to Jasper and Banff but never made it because this (on the left) is pretty much all  I could see. We also didn't want to get stuck in the mountains when I had a plane to catch ... not that that would have really mattered, because my flight, due to maintenance issues was cancelled ...

TWICE!

And I was in Calgary. In an airport, four hours drive away from Dawn, (she lives in Edmonton) so I couldn't even go back to spend the time with her. :o( I didn't leave Canada until a full 24 hours later than scheduled and I'm really behind on my work, but ... ho hum, never mind, it was TOTALLY worth it.

For the past 1.5 years, Dawn and I have been chatting on Gmail EVERY SINGLE DAY. I knew our friendship was a very special one. I knew she would take up a big chunk of my heart for the rest of my life, but I had no idea the feeling could get even more special, until I met her face-to-face. Now the chats do not really suffice. We've got a taste of this friendship in "real life" now, and it's going to be very difficult to adjust to this "internet thing" again. Woe is me ...

Dawn, if only I could call you up and say, "Wanna meet at Tim Horton's for a coffee after work despite the coffee tasting like shit?" (Sorry, Tim Horton, but after drinking European coffee all these years, yours sucks.)

Dawn. I miss you! And you had BETTER make it to Greece this summer! Or ... or ... or ... I'll kidnap your dogs somehow and you'll just have to come and get them.

Have you ever met any friends you've made blogging face-to-face? How was it?

Stuff:


PS: I did have a reason for the title of this post, but I seem to have lost it ... hmm ... *rubs jet-laggy eyes*

*Lyrics: Joni Mitchell, A Case of You 

30 comments:

  1. I've never met any of my blogging buddies face to face. It would be cool though.

    The pictures are great, looks like you're having a blast!

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  2. Sadly I have not met any face to face. However, one day it will happen. There are two in the UK and one in Greece I would like to sup wine with. A few in the USA and one in Canada. I am going to meet the Canadian one for a day when I go to Vancouver, as it turns out she lives there too! She lived in Cyprus but we never met as she had left the island before I moved over. What wonderful picture of you two, and I am sure your friendship will bloom. :D

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  3. I met Simon, Andrew, Sara, Carol, Shannon, Stephanie, and Elena at WFC last fall, and it was literally the time of my life. Never before have I known other writers in real life, and it was like nothing I've ever felt before.

    It sounds like you had a wonderful time, in spite of all the weather. Sorry it had to end!

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  4. Sounds awesome! I've met some writing friends at New England SCBWI - and that's pretty cool. Sorry about your long delay! yikes!

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  5. Glad you had a great time! I wouldn't venture out much in a blizzard either. Glad you're home safe and hope Dawn can visit you. I'm sure you guys won't be stuck in the house due to a blizzard then.

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  6. Sounds like a wonderful trip and a virtual friend has become a real friend lovely. I have yet to meet any of my blogging buddies, but have met and made friends with people we originally met online when moving to Italy and other Bookcrossers!

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  7. I'm so happy for you!! And think, you weren't that far away from me, just over the Canadian border. :)

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  8. It sounds like a great trip and a wonderful friendship. How special. I could not agree with you more about Tim Horton's coffee in particular and North American coffee in general. Swill generally. Sadly, the Canadians have been swallowed by their massive big 'brother' and not just with coffee - bookshops- supermarkets - department stores, all now sadly of US standard. I bet she will love Greece when she gets there.

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  9. As someone from upstate New York, just a 20 minute drive from the Canadian border, I sympathize with you while traveling in that part of the world at this time of year. My personal blackout dates for visiting my parents, who still live in that frozen tundra, span from November to April. The risk of getting stuck up there is too great!! haha

    I have met a few blogging buddies face-to-face. And in fact, I'm hanging out tomorrow with Summer Frey. We discovered (a year and a half ago?) that we live close to each other. And since then, she moved even closer -- just 25 minutes away now. It's a lot of fun for us to get to know each others offline personas!

    Glad your trip was successful and that you're back safe and sound. Missed you!!

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  10. I'm so glad it was a good experience! I just met a bloggy/writerly friend in person last month and it was really awkward to say I was hopping over to Oklahoma to meet someone I had met online. But we had the best, random writer's retreat ever.

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  11. I have met some of my online friends face to face, and they've become even better friends because of it. :)

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  12. That rocks! I love how the internet has brought people together that would have probably otherwise never crossed paths. Very cool. I have not met any blogger buddies face to face but hope to someday. :-) Have a great day!

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  13. Oh brrrrr! But as long as you had the warmth of friendship, then going out to do things isn't all that important.

    There are several bloggers I would love meet, but alas, I have not yet had the opportunity.

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  14. Sounds like you had an awesome time! (Despite the weather). Welcome home! As for me, I have met one blogger in person at a conference and it was great. We chatted up a storm and only stopped because the whole thing was starting on us.

    There are definitely people I need to meet in person some day. Love that you got that chance!

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  15. I have met a blogging friend. TL Conway, who lives not to far from me. We now have lunch every month or so and IT IS AWESOME!
    So glad to hear that you had a great time in Canada

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  16. The two of you look like sisters! How cool that you found a true friend through blogging. Glad to have you back, Jessica!

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  17. Oh! Awesomeness, awesomeness!!! I love that picture of you guys, and clearly you were having a fantastic time! Except the part about you having to sit in the airport 24 hours. That was definitely NOT awesomeness.

    I haven't met any blogging buddies IRL, unless you count my new friend Alina Kline, who is in the SCBWI here. She has a blog, but we met before that and then started "following" each other.

    Can you imagine if we all got to go to Greece??? *squee*!!!

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  18. Too bad that you didn't have nice weather while here. I live in Ontario so the climate is definitely much different than in Alberta; but in general, Canada has had one of its mildest winters in years this year. Today, it's spring at 16 degrees!

    PS. I used to think that I hated coffee, but it turns out I just didn't like the crappy stuff they call coffee at Tim Horton's. Then I went to Italy and coffee has never been the same. It's almost anti-Canadian to say I don't like Timmy's, but I'm okay with that if it means I get better coffee.

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  19. That is one SNOWY picture :) And no I haven't met any blogger buddies IRL but would absolutely love to.

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  20. Ha! Ironically - it's 12 degrees C this week, the snow is melting and the heat in the car is fully functional. Mother Nature was testing us - if we can survive those 10 days of cold, we can survive ANYTHING. I miss you. Dreadfully. xoxoxox

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  21. You two look like you could be sisters! Glad you had such a wonderful time and welcome back!!

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  22. that's so wonderful you had such a good time! It's great you two just clicked and you were able to make the trip out to see her! Sorry the weather sucked though!

    I've met my crit partner (Colene) whom I have been emailing every day too for the past oh, gosh, year or so. We don't live too far away from each other- just a couple hours. But she is definitely one of my best friends- not just a a crit partner. It was really great to meet her in person! I also met Michael Digesu in Chicago last summer- that was really fun too. I"d LOVE to go on a retreat with all three of my crit partners some day.

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  23. I once spent 2 weeks in Edmonton with a dear friend! A family friend told me, "Why would you want to spend 2 weeks in that hellhole?" and I said, "Because my very awesome, amazing friend lives there!" Those were some of the best days ever!

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  24. You should have called me!!!! I would have come and got you. I know what it's like to be stuck overnight in an airport. It's sucks!!!!

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  25. Glad you made it back out of that weather and how cool that you got to meet your friend! I have met many online friends and have never been disappointed! I still have some I met over ten years later.

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  26. Jessica, I've never been on a flight that was cancelled thank goodness. It would drive me insane!
    @Christine Murray If you could meet one uddy who would it be?

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  27. Oh, brrr. Never. So cold. Beautiful pics though. Sounds like you had a good time.
    I've not met any of my blogger friends in person yet, but there are many that I would love to meet.

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  28. Aww yes I have, here in the states and it was AWESOME! Stina and I always discuss meeting in person someday (I say that b/c she got to meet YOU in Canada) because we email everyday! Glad you guys got to meet!

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  29. Hi Jess .. sounds an amazing time you had with Dawn - that's just wonderful .. though the blizzard and maintenance all gets a bit much ...

    But a necessary revisit when blizzards won't be around .. good luck with all the projects ..

    Cheers Hilary

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  30. I've met three bloggers face to face, and I have to say it wasn't disappointing (at least for me...not sure how they felt). :)

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