Encounter
We had the opportunity yesterday to meet in person with Robin and Roger from the Dharma Bums blog. We’ve been cyber-acquaintances for a couple of years and, although we live within 25 miles of each other as the crow flies, haven’t had a real chance to cross paths until yesterday.
The occasion for this rendezvous was a shopping trip to Seattle for Robin & Roger. We had agreed to meet for lunch, and at the appointed time Mrs. Perils and I drove up to rescue them from a tile store in North Seattle. We’ve met up with a few online acquaintances, and it’s always interesting to see how closely their online persona matches their in-person ones. Online, Robin & Roger seem politically and ecologically passionate, as well as genuinely nice people that anyone would be eager to meet.
Still, there was that possibility that the package we encountered in the tile store parking lot would include a GMC Tundra, a woman in a fur stole, a bare-chested man adorned with gold chains and a Karl Rove Beanie Baby dangling from the rear-view mirror.
However, none of that proved true. Robin and Roger are, if possible, more delightful in person. We had a convivial lunch at Chinook’s at Fisherman’s Terminal, and the lively conversation seemed a continuation of our online one. At one point, during a pause in some dialog Roger and I were having, I heard Robin and Mrs. Perils pondering the presidential line of succession. I can only guess what regicidal fantasy led them to that point in their conversation.
Fittingly, as we prepared to leave the restaurant, I spied a bald eagle through the window, flying above Robin’s head.
Ooh. Jealous.
And why is Robin hiding?
I am jealous of all of you…getting to meet the others. What a deal!
Perhaps the eagle was Stephen Cobert?
Robin is hiding because she is horribly un-photogenic. I’m one of those people who, no matter what, ends up looking completely weird in photographs. I’m fairlly certain i’m not that weird looking in person, but if I relied on photographs to depict me I’d never be sure.
So, no pics.
We loved meeting Mr and Mrs Perils. It was like meeting long-time acquaintances for the first time. I wrote Mrs. Perils today and told her it felt like a blind date. Scary, but good.
well….there i am having a good time. the perils were an oasis of sanity in the big city. we had forgotten how much concrete, asphalt, signs, cars, people, and noise (and nice people in the tile store) there is in a place where there is a there there. we had a good time.
I can say emphatically that robin is NOT un-photogenic! Maybe just a little bit shy…?
And all y’all, if you’re ever up this way, let’s do lunch!
Hi, all, it was a good time. Brian, maybe it was one of Colbert’s adopted “children”. He, Angelina and Madonna are neck-and-neck in the celebrity adoption wars.
Roger, I worried about how much urbanity we should expose you to. But, then, you guys flourished as Bay Area residents, so what was I thinking?
I considered live-blogging the lunch, but I’ve already inundated my laptop with enough food and beverage this year.
Robin’s covering her face just to ruin your shot!!! She is very self-conscious about her photographic appearance and I cannot fathom why, but there it is.
I have met cyber friends, and usually am delighted as well. I am in awe of what the internet has done in terms of creating relationships and conversations, near and far. RoRo are dear to me — aren’t they just the greatest? So much fun and hilarity all rolled up with a healthy dose of intellectual snobbishness with a pinch of plain old humility. And they loved meeting you, too, ’cause they told me so over the phone.
Glad you all had such a good time!
Well, I’m very disappointed that Robin is hiding, photogenic or not. Roger looks precisely the way I envision him. Lucky you! You got to meet the Bums!