Thanks Andi! It's kicking my ass right now, but it's nice to have the validation.

Sorella! I hope you're feeling better.

{{{JZ}}} Those'll have to do, since I'm on the wrong coast at the moment.

And kat puts it perfectly. 'Nuff said.

This truly has been an awesome thread. Massive kudos to ita for thinking of it.

Maria!

It's been great seeing you all. Terrific idea, ita.

Just have to say goodbye to this thread, it has been a Blast .

and seconding the notion that you can delurk anytime -- and it is fine if all you want to say say is "Hi I agree!" ( If you disagree you have to say more )

I may have missed the deadline in my own timezone, but board time equalling Pacific time has worked in my favour this evening. As my use of the letter "u" in "favour" attests, I'm a long-time lurker of the Canadian variety - I started my illustrious lurking (although I prefer to call it skulking) career on WX around the time of Once More With Feeling, and followed you lovely chatty people over here. I'm usually too far behind in threads to warrant posting but I do try follow along in Natter, Bitches, and Movies when I get the chance.

I'm pro-serial comma, anti-olive, have zero cats and one delightful husband, put two spaces after a period, and think that Han shot first. I have no doubt that I'll return to lurkage after this post but thought I'd take this opportunity to see my pixels on the screen for once!

It is a whole different vibe, Jules.

I've had dead internet at home for a while, hence the under-the-wireness of this post. I can't wait to go back and read all of this thread, but for now:

I'm a post-Firefly addition to the board. I was here regularly for a couple of years, but I just haven't had enough time to keep up for a while. I still try to check Press, Beep Me, Firefly, and maybe a couple of the other less prolific threads. I've met Buffistas in DC, SF, and Seattle. Ahead of time, I'm always nervous to meet my online friends, but the experience has uniformly been even more good than I had feared bad.

I love the smart, the snark, and the good grammar that I see here, although I've been known to use an emoticon or lol myself in other places. I still believe that Buffistas are the best people ever, pixels and lurky both. Hugs all!

All our revels are soon ended.

I have this vision in my brain of the great hall doors slowly closing, the last of the revelers saying their goodbyes until next time the rift in space time opens and the lurker thread returns.

Just 334 or so days to Delurking 2...in 2010.

Oh, and it has been my pleasure to meet numerous buffistae at SF2F and a few mini-F2Fs. And though I have never had the pleasure of hosting anyone (no space in my miniscule house, unfortunately), I have been hosted once on either coast, both times by the lovely & charming Sparky family.

It looks like there are about 8 minutes left to this thread, if I am doing the math right across time zones. I've been listening to this quote for a few weeks now in rehearsal, and I thought I'd put it in here. Until next year, when we can re-open this living time capsule, so we can catch up with each other that we have missed in various threads. Meet people who know us from lurking. And rediscover folks who do not get a chance to post anymore. Adieu.

If we shadows have offended,

Think but this, and all is mended,

That you have but slumber'd here

While these visions did appear.

And this weak and idle theme,

No more yielding but a dream,

Gentles, do not reprehend:

if you pardon, we will mend:

And, as I am an honest Puck,

If we have unearned luck

Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,

We will make amends ere long;

Else the Puck a liar call;

So, good night unto you all.

Give me your hands, if we be friends,

And Robin shall restore amends. (Act v. Scene i.)