It was a beautiful weekend. And I could write up a nice, factual, chronological description of what happened. Tried doing that, and it was boring, stopped halfway through. Instead, a few memories, smiles, and bits of happiness.
- Driving the backroads of western Ohio on the gorgeous fall day that was friday. The windows down, the heat on, NPR on the radio, loud... The temperature was perfect. The sky was blue, the sun was shining... it was the last remnants of summer, and a reminder of how close winter is.
- Walking, practically skipping around the sidewalks of Ann Arbor, having arrived too early, wanting to see a bit of the town, wanting to enjoy the beautiful day.
- Chancel and jmc and yays! and salsa and torillas and Icelandic bread.
- Tall noders, unite!
- Driving with Chancel along twisting, semi-lit roads in the dark of the evening, to buy expensive foo-foo sodas - what a strange and wonderful thing it is, to be sober for a noder meet. But I like it.
- Wuukiee and mcc and CzarKahn showing up and hugs and ear scritches!
- Finally, the late arrival of NatchLucid and BrooksMarlin and compulsiveearnibbler, hugs, many hugs.
- Walking, arm around compulsiveearnibbler, her arm around me.
- A big ol' line o' noders, arms around each other, walking back from the Rasputina concert, engaging in all 31 flavors of silliness.
- Noders, laptops, miles of cat5, sprawled out on the floor, doing the same thing that we normally do, but together.
- Seven pairs of Birkenstocks. Eight people.
- Waking up next to compulsiveearnibbler, having slept a better night than I have in a long time.
- Breakfast. Or was it lunch? What was it even? Or was there even food? Whatever Chancel and jmc made, it was yummy. I remeber that much. Or maybe it was just waking up in such good company.
- Jurph and Erica and Birdlace and Steve. Late Friday night. Yays and bright camera flashes, if I remember correctly.
- Maneuvering the scary streets of Ann Arbor to kaytay's apartment, then back to the rest of the peoples.
- Nocte (biiig hugs) and friend Jeromie. But no metal rozsa.
- And then off to the orchard!
- Tons and tons of people at the orchard. And tons of OUR people. Dizzy and katyana. Nate, clampe, hemos, CowboyNeal, and BJuarez.
- Wandering (and wandering and wandering), looking for capskippy and twoswimy, who were eventually found.
- Careening way too fast down the highway with kaytay.
- Just sitting in the park.
- Jurph's mad grilling skillz.
- Apple stuff!
- compulsiveearnibbler does not appear to nibble ears compulsively, or really, at all.
- Node slam.
- noders = pile of kittens
- Just being with all of you, finally. Talking and hanging out and smiling and hugging. Can't wait to do it again.