Hmm. More first impressions:

Sean: First: wow, really tall. Second was that, even though he was so tall, when he gave me a hug, he bent down so that we were at about eye level. (Some really tall people don't do that, and it leaves me pretty much hugging their stomach, which is weird and awkward.)

SA and Trudy were both in the "Good to see you again" category. Like, just went right into talking comfortably, without any of the "I've just met a new person -- must investigate" sort of cautiousness.

DebetEsse -- within about two minutes of meeting, after not having talked online that much, we were exclaiming over the coolness of the Einstein action figures and trying to figure out why on earth velour track suits were in style.

Maria -- my first impression was mostly, "Wow, I really wish I could be that friendly walking into a group of new people." Just immediately bright and outgoing.

A GREAT feature of the F2F! Think The Prom ep of season three of Buffy - with PORN. And leather and corsets and glitter and kilts.

Plus, with the number of people that attend an F2F, people split off into different groups for most of the weekend. Except for prom. Prom is the one thing that we all do together. Dressing up and dancing and Too Much Candy and lots of fun.

I'm sure others could explain it better but that's my explanation.

What's the "prom" exactly? Is this a standard feature of F2Fs?

Yep. The Saturday night of the F2F weekend. Really the only time during the F2F that everyone (or almost everyone) is in the same place at the same time. Pretty clothes, music, dancing, drinks. (Plus other stuff. In DC, there were a bunch of sofas and chairs at one end of the room where people were knitting.)

Cashmere, how is your brother-in-law doing?

Hec, thank you for the bob pictures. My hair is wavier than all of those, but you provided a really nice group of shots, so nice, I'm having a hard time deciding. Thanks again.

I spoke to him today, Cindy. He's very well. They performed angioplasty on him on Friday and he came home yesterday. He sounded great on the phone and was puttering around in his garage.

Oh, so he did have a blockage, then? Yikes! I'm so glad he went to the hospital and is doing so well.

Cashmere, glad your BIL is doinig well. That's scary stuff.

Prom sounds lovely. If the gods smile on me (HA!) perhaps next year I can make the F2F.

Back on a break between shows. Still not quite enough time to list off specific impressions, but one other general impression is that Buffistas are much hotter in person.

DX: There's something about DX that demands honesty.

Yes, this. DX seems like such an interesting, likeable guy in person, but there's something about him that says "Low Tolerance for BS."

What Zenkitty says.

Ok, I just have to vent. Today, my mom left a long message on my phone saying basically that I don't do what she says, so I am a bad daughter who doesn't do what she says, is fat and unhealthy, and make her feel helpless, apparently just to thwart her. She continues that fortunately I lucked into good friends and a good church and a good job, which I clearly don't deserve, except maybe the job because she will allow that I am smart, at least in work type stuff that doesn't really matter, if not in life, which does matter and includes only aspects of life at which I suck. All this is, it seems, a long way of asking if I'm concerned about visiting her next week. Um, I wasn't.

Those of you who have met me or seen my photos know that I have a serious weight problem. My mom is thin as a rail. She seems to think that I don't care that I'm overweight. That without her to nag me about it, I might somehow forget about social issues or health issues. That I'm not thankful everyday that I've managed to find friends who accept me for who I am, since clearly she doesn't, even though she insists she's the only one in the world who will.

I'm turning 40 next year. I thought I would be past this crap by now.

Regarding playing Halo 2 and fragging your friends and loved ones, I'm all for it. Alas, I do not currently have an XBox Live account... Maybe I'll buy myself one for Christmas.

Also, does anyone know if one can play Halo 2 via XBox Live between XBox and Xbox 360s? (Since I now have the old-school XBox, many thanks to KristinT!!)

Welcome home, ND! See you soon for some festive holiday theatre.