6 legged love

2008-02-14

I forgot to tell you that while I was waiting in line to board my flight from Seattle on Friday, there was a woman in line ahead of me that was SO ANNOYING (talking to her companion) that just very fleetingly I thought, "I hope this plane Crashes". That's a whole lot of annoying, friends.

Today I want to talk a little more about the Janets. Specifically I want to tell you something I like about each of them, although there will be loads of crossover, because they're all great, right? They're all smart and fun and pretty, so you can just assume that about each of them. And I'm going in no particular order, okay? If you don't know the Janets and do not care to, just skip this section--I will put it in italics to assist with that.

Elisabeth -- She is confident. I admired and loved the way she fearlessly zoomed into conversations with so many people she had not previously met. She is also quite photogenic, even after dealing with an angry digestive system all morning; it was rather amazing. I can absolutely see why Kimmy loves her so much because now I love her too.

Jen -- Jen is so great at talking to people. I know she talks to people she doesn't know all the time when she's traveling (I'm sure they're drawn to her--I know the Janets were), but I got to witness her talking to a woman at the drugstore, and this woman LOVED her. Jen made her day, I'm pretty sure, just by helping her choose a pair of sunglasses. Watching their interaction and the woman's pleasure in it made me feel a little teary, but I suppressed it, and good thing, because nobody wants to be the freak who cries in the drugstore. If you ever happen to see Jen someplace, you should talk to her and maybe she'll take pictures of you wearing different pairs of sunglasses so you can see what you look like in them.

Craige -- Craige takes teasing very well, which was good because she was teased quite a lot [COUGHbleachCOUGH], and I loved that because she would just laugh or even agree with whatever was said. This made the teasing fun for everyone and it was great that she let us have laughs at her expense. I get the feeling she isn't that committed to preserving her dignity, and that makes her very fun to be around.

Kate -- It's hard to choose one thing, but something I loved about Kate in person that you can't get from Kate online is the arm touching. I know it's a small thing, but I adored how, when she was telling me a story, she would reach over and touch my arm from time to time; it was sweet. Also, she gave an excellent, concise explanation of grower vs. shower that I will always use myself from now on, whenever the subject might arise. So far it has not arisen, but maybe I'll try to work it in when I visit my parents this weekend.

Karyl -- She is adventurous. This showed in a number of ways, but I specifically liked that she wanted to try all the tapas offerings, even the ones she wasn't sure about. They didn't all work out for her [chicken liver pate, I'm looking at you], but she wouldn't have known that if she hadn't tried them. So, see? Adventurous.

Beth -- She's a great listener, and that's a quality I admire very much, as I am not always a good listener but would like to be. I bet she would expect me to list a different thing about her, which I still think is so awesome and adorable, but I've already talked about it waaaay too much. I confess I'd not read Beth's blog previously, but now I'm reading All of it, starting from the beginning, and am kicking myself for not having read it before. It's really really good.

Suzi -- This woman has a huge amount of energy. She came to CatieCon even though she's dealing with some unhappy stuff right now, and she not only participated but also made the best damn calzones ever, for everyone. She also has a great smile, even if she doesn't think so. It's the kind of smile you can see just in a picture and find yourself smiling back.

Kimmy -- Oh Kimmy. She'll probably think I'm going to talk about what a funny drunk she is (TRUE, but already established), when actually I want to say what a fantastic laugher she is. I've been fortunate enough to know Kimmy since 1993 (I said last weekend it was 1994, but I was wrong) and have always loved being around her, partly because of the laughing. It's infectious, this laughing. It makes everyone else happier than they would have been without it.

Andrea -- I am So Glad I got to share a room with Andrea on my last night in San Jose. Like me she is quiet in a large group, but one on one she talks and is interesting and fun. One thing I like about Andrea is that she is a risk taker. You might not necessarily sense that upon first meeting her, but oh she is. I've been reading her diary for awhile now but for whatever reason I never went back and read her archives. They are now definitely on my to-read list.

Tracy -- Tracy is so outgoing and cheery. She welcomed the Janets into her house after she'd only slept 3-ish hours the night before. She made everyone welcome and comfortable, and also put out quite a delicious spread of food. The food isn't the point but I mention it because it was very good and I'm hungry right now. I enjoyed being around Tracy because she is fun and put people at ease, and also she really rocked the Black Bar Privacy Specs.

Violet -- Violet has amazing style, and her style is not just limited to her wardrobe; it's the total package. She is extremely funny, but that's not the only reason she was a center of attention at CatieCon. She's like a modern-day Holly Golightly, but without the implied call girl aspect or undercurrent of desperate craziness. Kate said she wants to be Violet when she grows up, and that made me smile because I thought that exact same thing but didn't say it. I wonder if Violet is taking students?

Chelle -- I regret that I didn't talk more with Chelle at CatieCon. I don't know why I didn't, but I didn't and consequently didn't learn that much about her. I hope someday I get a do-over on that. However, I know from reading her blog post about CatieCon that she was anxious about being there, but she went anyway. She was also scared to ride on her brother's motorcycle while she was there (he lives in the area) but she did that too. And she told a story about how she was the one who searched for and found the house (in one weekend) that she and her husband bought in Atlanta (a feat I'm not sure I could accomplish because it involves too many things I'm afraid of), and therefore I have concluded that Chelle is very brave, because she does things that scare her and things that scare me. I want to be more like her.

Catie -- I purposely put Catie last because I knew she wouldn't think that meant I liked her least. She knows better. Something I love about Catie is that she's not afraid to say what she thinks, even when what she thinks might possibly put somebody off. If you ask for Catie's opinion about something, you will get it--she won't tell you what she thinks you want to hear--and that's good because Catie is pretty much always right. She gives great advice; she is someone I would go to for an opinion if I needed to make a tough decision. And when she's giving you advice, she will make you laugh repeatedly, because she's funny. What's not to love? Nothing, that's what.

So, Happy Valentine's Day. Francisco and I don't exchange Valentine's gifts, usually, but yesterday when I was shopping during lunch I couldn't resist getting him a tiny ant farm, and I gave it to him this morning. I hope he doesn't feel the need to get me something now, after he's done with his shift of volunteer policing, because I really don't need him to do that. I just feel grateful for all the nice things he does for me, most recently for being happy to see me attend CatieCon, even though it meant more work at home for him. And how better to say that than with insects? Small insects say it all, really.

This morning I finally called my doctor's office [see also: fear of the phone] and talked with my doctor's nurse about maybe getting a small increase in my Synthroid dose. I knew my request was a pretty reasonable one and did not expect it to be denied, and it wasn't--they have faxed the new prescription to my pharmacy and I can pick it up tonight. Is it crazy to be excited to start taking it? I'm pretty sure I'll feel a lot better and more energetic after the increase kicks in. See you soon, Treadmill!

And see YOU soon, lambies.

Love,
E

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cats-kittens

come over some time & see me - 2011-02-25
let's not say goodbye - 2011-02-23
the Rachel Zoe collection - 2011-02-10
I feel happy today - 2011-02-04
the tiny snow stalker - 2011-01-25

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