Oh, and a hearty "Hello!" to both Deb and meara.

...continued... (...and it's a monster post, and we all love it, it's a monster post...)

The first Buffistas I met when I arrived were Deb, Vortex, Ginger, and Bev, and they immediately swept me away to the HS, lunch, and conversation. What a fascinating group that was to spend time with--how welcoming and friendly and how brilliant. Talking politics with this group was inspirational and educational.

When they showed me the HS, I met several other people, and I will always appreciate that you not only immediately welcomed me, but also crushed me to your chests (and in some cases, your ample bosoms...rrow!) and said, "Yay! You're here!" or something to that effect. I felt comfortable within seconds.

All the compliments are so appreciated, my lovelies. I am turning red, but it's a great feeling. Thank you especially, Raquel, for the compliment to my voice. I know I look like I should be a soprano, but my idol is Nina Simone.

I love that DebetEsse called me "graceful" in the GropeMobile (so named, btw, because we were fitting four people in a fairly small back seat, so I had to drape myself across ND, DebetEsse, and JohnSweden/Matt the Bruins Fan [depending on the trip]--once in Vortex's car and again in JavaCat's) considering the fact that during that night I flung myself out of the car, ran madly across a field, attempted to do a cartwheel in my heels and ended up on my ass in the grass. Gracefully, evidently. Hee!

Also? One of the funniest moments in my life was when we suddenly realized we were sitting at a light right next to a police car and the three of them "hid" me in my highly illegal position by turning into a giant Pac Man. ND's armpit and I are now quite intimate and have secrets.

Some other little snippets from over the weekend, in no particular order:

• twisting Deb's hair into a hairstyle that attempted to capture how regal she is, and then using half a can of hairspray to try to get it to stick (and god, did she look like a queen)
• the gentleness of Bev's smile--she has a smile that should be bottled and packaged as a cure for depression. She'd put Prozac out of business in weeks.
• watching Deb lace Vortex into her corset and learning the super seekrit way to make your boobs look boobalicious in one! Granted, my boobs ain't NEVER going to look like hers, but it was still a valuable life lesson. I plan on applying that lesson to the next F2F (even if on smaller scale before next year’s party) in a corset of my own. Anyone want to help me shop?
• talking with Ginger at dinner about the weirdness of having a body that reacts in unpredictable ways to meds, and then talking with the whole table about doctors and god complexes in general
• Lebanese food...mmmmmm
• floating in the pool and watching Trudy "kidnap" Jen (Cass) when she was trying to leave by pulling her under the rope and saying, "I'm abducting you! See my plan? It’s deeper here!"
• watching smonster dance with that boa (which, btw, was a gift from Cass that I loved, but smonster was using the finger hooks waaaaaaay better than I had been, so I gladly relinquished it to her. Plus? She traded me for another pretty!)
• dancing with meara, smonster, Cass, and other beauties to "Closer"
• talking with billytea and Tom. They may be quiet, but they both have a lot to say.
• listening to Vortex sing. DAMN does she have a voice.
• getting my tiara delivery from Cass and Trudy and squeeing at the pretties
• seeing the coolness of Jon’s sexy silver suit and getting to talk to him about music in general
• sitting outside on the roof and being posed by Java into sultry wrought iron goodness (I love those pictures! Fun!)
• meeting JohnSwedon and discovering my hidden desire to visit Toronto to get a chance to talk to him more. What a sweetie!
• seeing MM and the Empress flipping us all off because we were "awwwww"ing them when they were dancing all lovely-dovey (I can see them flipping me off again right now when they read it! Hiya Miracleborns!)
• seeing how stunningly happy Hec and JZ were (and seeing home movies of Emmett and of the wedding reception!)
• Seeing Lovesick Ass! I missed Muffin Buffalo and am dying to see it. I'm going to cross my fingers that I get another chance.
• the fact that Jon was concerned about being a gentleman when eating the candy off my necklace. My heart about melted with the sweetness of his sincerity. MWAH!
• overcoming my reticence enough to enjoy the candy necklace phemon (one of the first times in years I've bemoaned my non-single state! Nummy Buffistas.)
• watching Sean's face as he was surrounded by women in fishnets and tight dresses eating candy in the room as he said to JohnSweden, "Yeah, F2F sucks. Why do we come?"
• in general, Sean hugs. They are indeed wonderful.
• getting to talk with askye and Tep and Theodosia and Jessica and Lee and Hil and Holli and FredPete/Hubs and too many more to list (though not long enough for any!) in all their foaminess
• dinner in the gorgeous garden courtyard at the Tabard Inn
• hanging in Matt's gorgeous Inn room with a bottle of Absinthe.

...continued....

OK, my F2F memories post has been un-locked for a little while. Will probably get re-locked sometime tomorrow, but if you want to be friended, just ask.

Geez, a little wrath of God and you people all go running and hiding.

...end, really!...

• the whole night after the Prom when, from midnight to 2AM, we explored the monuments and memorials of the DC Mall in silent darkness. ND, DebetEsse, JavaCat, JohnSweden, Matt the Bruins Fan and I started by the hotel and saw the Japanese American Memorial and then took the car to the Mall, wandering from the Vietnam Memorial (which is painfully beautiful and eerie in the night that it took my breath away), to the nurse’s statue, the Lincoln Memorial (the first time I’ve actually seen it when the “Quiet: Show Respect” sign actually meant something), the reflecting pool (purple and dark, reflecting in ripples up on the George Washington Monument), the new WWII Memorial (amazing, and, as ND said, a perfect visible statement of “Victory” in sharp contrast to the Wall’s statement of sorrow), and wandering through the shadows of the stunning FDR Memorial (thanks Vortex, for the rec—you were right), nearly in tears at the quotes about freedom and justice that are so damned relevant to current events and the Evil Regime at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

I have been to DC many times, but I have never seen it like that. Thank you for making that last night incredibly special.

• hugging my sorella Maria at the airport and knowing I would see her again soon

Oh there are so many more. I need to stop for a bit, though, and process.

I’m with DebetEsse. Do we really have to wait another year? Really?

Thank you all.

Geez, a little wrath of God and you people all go running and hiding.

Well, yeah. We're going to take the porn and candy with us too.

Damn - so very vivid, Kristin.

Now, do we know sean has cracked ribs, or is he just bruised. I 'm not sure we should let him leaveCA if y'all are going to abuse him.

Well, yeah. We're going to take the porn and candy with us too.

And the music. Mayhap the kilts as well.

I 'm not sure we should let him leaveCA if y'all are going to abuse him.

It was a fellow Californian that did the abusing. IJS.

ETA: One that did not mean any harm, of course. Enthusiasm abounds amongst the Buffistas.

I've still not worked out all my thoughts and feelings on seeing the Vietnam Memorial. I'd never been before. Never been to DC before. It's one of the most apt and powerful pieces of art I think I've ever seen. By the time I was at the mid point tears were streaming down my face.