I'm partial to Connemaras and Appaloosas, in fact. Alas, I don't have the space for a Real Live Pony.

Please don't code me up anyone covered in pony blood. I'm sure you could, you don't have to prove it.

I have been thinking about how happy I was that ita came to our wedding reception. She had been dealing with the migraines for some time at that point, and I didn't know if she would come--or if she would even want to since we'd spent so little time together outside of the board. But she did, and she gave me a big hug and said she was so glad to be there. And then almost five years went by, and despite spending nearly every day "seeing" her here, I didn't see her in person until shortly after Thanksgiving when she put a call for Thanksgiving leftovers. Drew and I brought her a plate and chatted win her briefly, but it was clear she was in a lot of pain, so we didn't stay long and make her talk. But I'm so glad we did that. I'm so glad I got to see her again, even if briefly, to do something nice for her--this person who did so much for me by architecting this board.

I hear many people saying how she was a bit intimidating, and I felt that way too--until I met her in person. And then she was just so kind and funny and welcoming that I wondered why I'd thought that. I'm sad I didn't know her better. I miss her.

I had forgotten about the bagel debates

"Montréal is where the real bagels run wild. Alla y'all are eating the domesticated stuff. "

"the two parts of the Jamaican accent/patois that drive me completely apeshit are being called "him" by people who KNOW I'm a her infuriates me (even more than being called "him" by those who can't tell, even though I'm standing right in front of them) and the pronunciation of mattress as mat-RASS. Jump up and down yell at my dear father "Stop that! You're embarassing me!" mad. "

Y'all don't count as internet friends anymore anyway, because I've met ...almost all of you! at some point. Been to a lot of your houses. Had you to mine. No one would say my friendship with people I met in DC is an "internet friendship" and therefore less valuable. But I see less of them than I see some of the LAistas in PERSON, forget about online!

"I get asked if I'm Korean a fair amount. By fair amount, I mean n>0. Last person who did it was Japanese.

There's something I'm missing in these deductions. "

ita was the thrumming engine of this board. Her wit and prodding questions and thread-nannying and outrageous links and wide-ranging enthusiasm always kept us moving forward.

I am going to do my best to bring continued life to this place in her honor. Although I know I can never come close to the gifts she brought.

That reminds me of that Moolatté debacle where ita told us about someone speaking to a Dairy Queen exec and facetiously recommending new High Yellow and Octoroonie flavor blizzards.

"Hangover *while* drinking? That's fundamentally unfair. "

"I call my sister Mojo Jojo, and yup, she should be afeared."