(In all seriousness, Tom, I'm so very glad you're here.)

sj, you're right. I can't believe I spaced thst.

Still like you, still coming.

Backatcha

This board that ita built is such a beautiful thing. I've been sad that I've been too whatever to be here and take part in this shared grieving, this virtual wake. But then I come, and it's all still here, and I can share in it.

Thanks for posting such lovely images, and such wonderfully ita quotes, and just... thanks.

{{{Norah}}}

Whatever you need too, my dear.

I need space, virtual space between things so that demands and desires and needs-that-needs-be-met can all be kept straight and honored. Ugh. Too bad life doesn't work that way.

Couldn't quite get with the "coming" joke, either, but getting smiled at by Scola in real life? Did kinda make me giggle like a teenager.

I went to the Chicago F2F. Couldn't attend the whole thing due to conflicts, but I was at the prom. By that time, people had gotten to know each other and were clicking. I felt off step from everyone since I just showed up. I remember just watching people and soaking it in.

I went to the the Madison F2F and SFF2F, too. Kathy A. and I even drove up together for the Madison one. Had a great time at both.

I didn't realize how much I missed this place until this week. It reminds me somewhat of how we all came together as a community on 9/11. Two tragedies bonding us.

It’s so amazing to see everyone, and so wonderful and sad to hear your ita stories.

I’ve kept up with COMM and Apocalypse over the years, and I feel like I’ve gotten a movie-trailer version of your lives (Establishing shot, Clever Quip, EXPLOSION!, “NOOOooo!”) and I’ve sent interview-ma, etc as directed, and I’ve never doubted that this place would be here when I came looking for it. This board is an amazingly sturdy thing, and I plan to do more to help maintain it in the future.

Through lucky chance, I’m seeing both Nutty and Jesse for the first time in months this week. I’m so grateful for all the people I’ve met on the board and then in person, for the music and books and opinions you’ve introduced me to, and especially for ita, because she helped make it all possible and because her existence made the cool, amazing things that happen in the world seem a lot more plausible. It’s not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer and can kill you with her pinky. ita was all of those.

I need hours and hours to try to properly put into words the relationship I had with such a wonderful and complicated person as ita. Instead I've been using my hours to read all the wonderful details of the relationships she had with all of you. It's time well-spent.