As my small group of buffistas were sitting down to dinner here, we noted that the DC dinner group was likely just breaking up. There was a moment of silence.

I miss Nilly.

if all has gone according to plan, at this moment, Nilly is at the Air and Space Museum with CaBil. Her flight leaves at 2:55, so collective travelma should be sent at that time.

Wanna know a nifty spousal relations thing I learned after last Monday's event, Matt?

Sure!

When a heterosexual hypothetical married woman (hmw), goes out without her heterosexual hypothetical husband (hh), for an evening she's been long (and vocally) anticipating, and her hypothetical companions (hc) are people her hh has never met (from a board hh does not generally read), there are some things to keep in mind.

The interested hh will engage hmw in conversation, when she returns home. This is pleasant for both parties, as his interest is warm and sincere.

However, when hmw was only told hh that she was attending a party for an Israeli female friend (Iff) who is on a once in a lifetime trip, yet nearly half of hmw's conversation that didn't focus on Iff, or the party as a whole, focuses on some guy named, "Matt," (sgnM), the hh may experience some uncertainty.

Now, I need to take care that I am not painting anybody's hh in a controlling, jealous, or otherwise unflattering light. For the sake of argument, we are assuming that hmw is her own person, with her own interests and friends, and that her hh appreciates that, and would not be happy married to a "Yes, sir" type of hwm.

However, let's say our hmw realizes at some point while she's telling her hh about the evening, that she had gone far past, "Oh, and this guy Matt came up from Tennessee, too" territory, well into sgnM-likes-carrots country. Perhaps she's said things like:

sgnM's appearance was a last minute surprise. His work always has him so busy, I wouldn't let myself believe he was coming 'til I met him.

If we'd had the spare room set up, I would have asked sgnM to stay here, as his lodging plans fell through.

I was as excited to meet sgnM as I was to meet Iff.

I found myself uncharacteristically shy around both sgnM and Iff at first, because I just couldn't believe they were really there, and then because I was afraid I'd monopolize them. I'm angry at myself for that, because I wasted too much time.

Who is sgnM? Oh, he's this really great guy from the board. Haven't I told you about him before? He writes these hysterical recaps, and a lot of times, we're just of the same mind.

sgnM has the nicest voice, and pictures don't do him justice.

If hh is an easy going guy and good man, hh may find himself not quite sure how to process all this information about sgnM, and even feeling badly that he's wondering if he should process it. And at first, the hmw may be oblivious to her hh's uncertainty.

If, during her blabbering, hmw manages to notice the "Huh, what should I say" look on her hh's face, it's awfully nice to be able to say, "Honey, sgnM is gay."

This lesson is easily adjusted for the edification of not only the heterosexual hypothetical married man, and his heterosexual hypothetical wife, but also for same sex couples as well, provided they are both exclusively homosexual, and assuming anyone who fills the role of sgnM in their scenarios is heterosexual. We might, however, have to tweak it a bit more for relationships involving a bisexual spouse, and/or a bisexual version of sgnM.

ijs.

I miss Nilly.

I miss everyone.

In regard to the "cruelty-free chocolate" I think that threw everyone at first - it's kind of a fair trade, ecologically friendly farming thing.

sigh ... I was having visions of free-range cacao beans

Or humanly treated Oompa Loompas.

I'm so exhausted today that I can't quite parse Cindy's post. Too many abbreviations.

Her flight leaves at 2:55, so collective travelma should be sent at that time.

Exactly why I wanted to know.

You should mark it and read it later. It's funny.

Also, I don't find the idea of shrubbery moving around freely comforting.

'Cruelty-free' chocolate means the cacao trees have been slaughtered humanely.