still March 2001 -for the book

"I can't possibly express my disappointment that the spider that bit me when I was 9 had no special talents whatsoever. It was pretty, but I'm less shallow than that. I did make my mother take it to her lab to analyze. She's very indulgent, but I just know she threw it out the window on her way to work."

Sometimes you can’t make sense of things, you can’t process them, but you have to handle it somehow…and my pen was how.

From her tumblr.

I first met ita at a birthday party for msbelle. Her 30th maybe? It was where I met Matthew #2. I don't think I really talked to ita that night, partly because it was where I met Matthew #2, but mostly because I was a little in awe and probably a lot scared of her. Which seems silly, but I was still a lurker then and what would become The Phoenix was merely a project. I'm glad I could rectify the lapse years later at Pix and ND's wedding.

ita was more than her code, of course, but I think it's safe to say that without it I likely wouldn't have moved from lurker to poster, and, wow, would my life be different. She helped give me so much, including the courage to move to San Francisco--where I had only one long-standing friend, but knew many, many Buffistas.

I loved her willingness to speak up, for herself and others, and to call people on their bullshit. Even if it was mine. I loved that I shared a birthday with her dad. But mostly I loved her because she helped make this place, without which there would be no Thanksgivings with ND and Pix (and therefore no Math Greek), no game nights at ZMayhem, no BooBelly. The mind reels.

I'm so happy she knew what she created here because I could never have thanked her enough for it.

That patter was...not so much epic because it happened a lot. Classic, maybe?

You people are fucking funny. And in a intelligent, saucy, witty, caustic, brilliant way.

Nobody else dies. Deal? We're just going to stay here, like this. forever.

megan, was it the karaoke party?

It was in a bar. I don't remember karaoke, but I certainly wouldn't have sung so maybe? January 2002 I think.

ita was more than her code, of course, but I think it's safe to say that without it I likely wouldn't have moved from lurker to poster, and, wow, would my life be different.

Gosh yes. Changes I have made in my life came from the strength I gleaned from here. My critical thinking skills got a workout here. I can't even put into words how grateful I am to have found the buffistas - back on Salon when I just lurked and the followed to here.

yep. the pic I posted on fb was from that. My 31st. 13 years ago this week.

fuck it all.

STILL in March 2001

"I am inexplicably drawn towards Hello Kitty. I wonder if they have a line of weapons?"

Lisa, pretty good plan, but I was halfway amused picturing the staff at my local Irish pub being like "*How many tiaras?! and you want to do*what* on our pool table?" But I'm kind of hoping I'll be transplanted by then, anyway.